PHALLISM  IN  ANCIENT  WORSHIPS. 


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THE  GOD  OF  WISDOM,  IN  THE  HINDU  PANTHEON, 


ANCIENT  SYMBOL  WORSHIP. 


INFLUENCE  OF  THE  PHALLIC  IDEA 

IN  THE 

Religions  of  Antiquity. 


BY 

H ODDER  M.  WESTROPP 


C.  STANILAND  WAKE. 


WITH  AN 

INTRODUCTION,  ADDITIONAL  NOTES,  AND  AN  APPENDIX. 

By  ALEXANDER  WILDER,  M.D. 


SECOND  EDITION , ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW  YORK: 

J.  W.  BOUTON,  706  BROADWAY. 

1875- 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874, 

15 Y JAMES  W.  BOUTON, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE 


The  historian  Gibbon  has  remarked  that  “a  lively  desire  of 
knowing  and  recording  our  ancestors  so  generally  prevails,  that 
it  must  depend  on  the  influence  of  some  common  principle  in 
the  minds  of  men.”  To  this  we  are  probably  to  refer  the  inquisi- 
tiveness that  leads  individuals  to  the  investigation  of  the  relics 
of  bygone  periods,  whether  as  naturalists,  philologists,  or  his- 
torical inquirers.  The  Book  of  Genesis  has  been  eagerly  scruti- 
nized as  containing  a divinely-inspired  record  of  the  Origin  of 
Mankind  ; and  ancient  histories  are  carefully  turned  over  in 
quest  of  clews  in  the  same  direction.  The  studies  of  language 
and  etymology  are  interesting  as  affording  'traces  of  the  ancestry 
of  our  modern  peoples.  The  same  plea  holds  good  in  regard  to 
religious  inquiry.  Language  and  worship  are  crystallized  history. 

Unbecoming  alike  are  the  supercilious  disdain  and  the  sancti- 
monious contempt  flung  by  pretentious  men  upon  ancient  ideas 
and  usages.  The  ignorant  cock  that  scorned  the  jewel  because 
he  knew  not  how  to  ascertain  its  value,  and  preferred  the  corn 
which  he  could  scratch  out  from  the  dunghill,  is  an  apt  likeness  of 
such  persons.  It  is  certainly  proper  to  pay  due  regard  to  utility  and 
present  advantage.  But  the  disposition  to  confine  the  attention 
to  that  limit  is  as  imbruting  and  sensual  as  anything  in  fetish- 
worship  or  the  orgies  of  the  old-time  divinities.  The  generous 
mind  will  cast  aside  such  a temper,  and,  in  obedience  to  its  own 
instincts,  hasten  to  broader  fields  of  exploration,  whether  in 
natural  science,  metaphysical  inquiry,  or  archaeological  investiga- 
tion. Labor  which  makes  a person  better  acquainted  with 
himself  or  his  fellow-men  is  not  wasted. 

In  former  periods  it  was  the  practice  to  check  exuberant 


VI 


Preface. 


curiosity  by  destroying  records,  and  inflicting  summary  penal- 
ties on  those  who  exceeded  the  bounds  that  had  been  set  to 
scientific  and  literary  pursuits.  Cardinal  Ximenes  burned  the 
old  Arabic  manuscripts  ; Galileo  languished  in  prison  ; Socrates 
drank  the  hemlock,  and  Servetus  perished  at  the  stake  ; the 
Gauls  destroyed  the  annals  of  Old  Rome,  and  the  Romans  those 
of  ancient  Carthage  and  Spain  ; the  Brahmins  were  alike  malig- 
nant to  the  population  and  literature  of  Hindustan,  and  the 
Moslems  equally  destructive  to  the  books  that  fell  in  their  way 
from  Benares  and  Bactria  to  Syria  and  Alexandria.  All  hoped 
in  this  way  to  put  an  end  to  the  supremacy  of  scholars  and  rival 
nations,  and  to  confine  thought  to  the  metes  and  limits  of  re- 
ligious orthodoxy.  They  succeeded  for  a time,  but  only  par- 
tially. Knowledge  extinguished  in  one  place  broke  forth  in 
another  ; and  every  nation  that  burned  records  and  slaughtered 
teachers  speedily  declined  into  insignificance.  At  the  present  time 
the  Index  Expur  gator  ins  of  the  Vatican,  so  far  from  excluding 
books  from  general  reading,  has  become  the  best  medium  for 
advertising  them  ; and  the  achievements  of  Omar  at  Alexandria, 
Nabonasar  at  Babylon,  and  Torquemeda  at  Salamanca,  to  be 
successful,  would  require  a general  holocaust.  Those  who  pro- 
test against  scientific  and  archfeological  studies  as  tending  to 
unsettle  the  mind  in  regard  to  accepted  doctrines,  are  speaking 
too  late.  Devotion  which  is  born  of  ignorance  is  not  worthy  of 
being  cherished. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  little  ground  for  apprehension  that  the 
foundations  of  a genuine  religious  belief  will  be  undermined. 
The  investigation  of  the  beginnings  of  a religion  is  never  the 
work  of  infidels,  but  of  the  most  reverent  and  conscientious 
minds.  Those  who  are  at  liberty  to  develop  themselves  freely, 
will  seldom  molest  themselves  about  the  opinions  of  others. 
Mystics  and  philosophers  do  not  clash,  but  often  arrive  at  like 
conclusions  by  different  routes  and  the  exercise  of  different 
faculties  of  mind. 

The  papers  of  Messrs.  Westropp  and  Wake,  showing  the  influ- 


Preface. 


vii 

ence  of  “ phallism”  upon  former  religious  ideas,  are  entitled  to  a 
candid  and  careful  perusal.  The  ripe  scholarship  of  those  gen- 
tlemen is  beyond  question  ; and  the  fidelity  with  which  they 
performed  their  labor  is  worthy  of  praise.  They  have  treated 
the  subject  with  a delicacy  that  is  commendable,  and  with  a 
dignity  and  fairness  characteristic  of  the  scholar  and  the  sage. 
Their  purpose,  as  will  be  perceived,  is  not  merely  to  portray  its 
features,  but  to  exhibit  it  in  its  relations  to  modern  idea. 

This  much  is  claimed  especially  for  the  investigations  noted  in 
these  pages.  Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  men  who,  accord- 
ing to  our  modern  notions,  took  such  extraordinary  views  of 
divine  things  and  resorted  to  what  would  be  regarded  as  offen- 
sive methods  to  express  them,  it  is  certain  nevertheless  that  in 
important  respects  they  were  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  fore- 
most thinkers  of  our  boasted  nineteenth  century.  Our  archi- 
tects learned  of  them  how  to  build  ; and  they  possessed  accurate 
scientific  knowledge.  Our  theories  of  government,  modes  of 
inquiry,  and  even  our  religious  opinions,  were  derived  from  the 
same  sources.  If  we  have  degraded  the  ideas  which  they  cher- 
ished with  reverence,  if  we  have  rendered  obscene  the  mysteries 
of  life  which  they  adored  as  pure  and  instituted  by  God  himself, 
let  us  not  add  to  the  injury  by  endeavoring  to  cast  upon  them 
the  reproach  which  belongs  to  those  who  thus  calumniate  them. 

Herein,  it  may  be,  the  ancients  have  us  at  disadvantage. 
They  worshipped  the  Supreme  Being  as  the  Father  of  men,  and 
saw  no  impurity  in  the  symbolism  of  parentage  to  indicate  the 
work  of  creation.  What  is  divine  to  be  and  to  do  cannot  be  im- 
modest and  wicked  to  express.  No  man  born  of  woman  can 
with  decency  impugn  the  operation  of  that  law  to  which  he  owes 
his  existence ; and  he  is  impious  beyond  others  who  regards  that 
law  as  only  sensual.  We  may  easily  perceive  how  the  phallic 
emblems  were  adopted  to  denote  the  kinship  of  mankind  to  the 
Creator.  Those  who  employed  them  apprehended  no  wrong  in 
so  doing,  till  impurity  of  life  had  caused  all  that  related  to  the 
subject  to  be  considered  as  indecorous. 


Preface. 


viii 

In  these  pages  the  endeavor  has  been  to  discourse  of  the  sev- 
eral topics  without  levity  or  discourtesy  toward  any  individual  or 
people.  There  may  be  views  taken  which  differ  essentially  from 
those  commonly  entertained,  but  there  is  no  design  to  treat  any 
person,  topic,  or  opinion  with  disrespect.  It  will  also  be  seen, 
from  the  references,  that  the  facts  here  presented  have  generally 
been  long  familiar  to  the  educated  public.  The  subject  is  inter- 
esting, not  merely  because  of  its  peculiar  character,  but  as  afford- 
ing more  complete  views  of  ethnology,  as  well  as  of  the  earlier  de- 
velopment of  religious  thought.  Nothing  of  value  can  be  lost, 
and  much  will  be  gained  in  every  way,  by  investigation  pursued 
with  candor  and  dispassionately. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Baal None  older  is  than  I.  When  Man  came  forth, 

The  final  effort,  wrung  from  monstrous  forms. 

And  Earth’s  outvvearied  forces  could  no  more, 

I warmed  the  ignorant  banding  on  my  breast 
We  rose  together,  and  my  kingdom  spread 
From  these  cold  hills  to  hamlets  in  the  palms, 

That  grew  to  Memphis  and  to  Babylon  : 

While  I on  towers  and  hanging  terraces, 

In  shaft  and  obelisk,  beheld  my  sign 
Creative,  shape  of  first  imperious  law. 

“ Masque  of  the  Gods”  by  Bayard  Taylor. 

The  classic  scholar  whose  studies  have  hardly  exceeded  the 
limits  prescribed  in  the  curriculum  of  the  .universities,  and  the 
biblical  student  whose  explorations  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  have 
not  led  him  beyond  the  field  of  exegesis  and  theological  pursuit, 
are  ill-prepared  to  hear  of  a larger  world  than  Greece,  Rome,  and 
Palestine,  or  of  an  archaic  time  which  almost  remands  the  annals 
of  those  countries  into  the  domain  of  modern  history.  Olympian 
Zeus  with  his  college  of  associate  deities,  afterward  Latinized 
into  Jupiter  and  his  divine  subordinates,  and  the  Lord  alone  with 
his  ten  thousands  of  sacred  ones,  comprise  their  idea  of  the 
supernal  world  and  its  divinities.  Beyond,  they  recognize  a vague 
and  misty  chaos  of  mythologies,  which,  not  accurately  under- 
standing, they  superciliously  affect  to  despise.  Whoever  would  be 
really  intelligent,  must  boldly  explore  that  chaos,  voyaging  through 
the  “ outer  world”  away  from  Troy  and  Greece,  as  far  as  Ulysses 
went,  and  from  biblical  scenes  to  the  very  heart  of  the  ancient 
empires.  There  is  no  occasion  for  terror,  like  that  displayed  by 
the  mariners  who  sailed  with  Columbus  into  the  unknown  ocean. 
Wherever  man  is  to  be  found,  like  instincts,  passions,  hopes,  and 
ambitions  will  attest  a common  kindred.  Each  person’s  life  is  in 
some  manner  repeated  in  that  of  his  fellows,  and  every  human 
soul  is  a mirror  in  which  other  souls,  as  well  as  future  and  former 
events,  reflect  their  image. 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  diversified  customs,  insti- 
tutions, and  religions  of  the  several  nations  of  the  world  are  less 

I 


IO 


Introduction. 


dissimilar  in  their  origin  than  is  often  imagined.  The  differences 
uprose  in  the  progress  of  time,  the  shifting  scenes  of  climate, 
condition,  and  event.  But  the  original  ideas  of  existence,  and 
the  laws  which  pertain  to  all  created  things,  are  pretty  much  the 
same  among  the  various  tribes  of  mankind.  The  religions,  philo- 
sophical systems  and  symbolisms,  are  outgrowths, — the  aspirations 
of  thinking  and  reverential  men  to  solve  and  express  in  suitable 
form  the  facts  which  underlie  and  constitute  all  things. 

We  should  therefore  approach  the  subject  of  human  faith  and 
worship  with  candor,  modesty,  and  respect.  Men’s  beliefs  are 
entitled  to  so  much.  The  unwitting  individual  may  be  astonished 
at  beholding  men,  the  masters  of  the  science  and  thought  of  their 
time,  adoring  gods  that  are  represented  as  drunken  and  adulter- 
ous, and  admitting  extravagant  stories  and  scandalous  narrations 
among  their  religious  verities.  In  his  simplicity  he  may  conceive 
that  he  has  a right  to  contemn,  and  even  to  scoff  at,  such  pro- 
digious infatuation.  But  the  infatuation  and  absurdity  are  only 
apparent.  There  is  a fuller,  profounder  meaning,  which  sanctifies 
the  emblems  and  legends  which  ignorant  and  superficial  men  de- 
nounce. M.  Renan  speaks  justly  as  well  as  eloquently:  “It  is 
sacrilege,  in  a religious  light,  this  making  sport  of  symbols  con- 
secrated by  Time,  wherein,  too,  man  had  deposited  his  first  views 
of  the  divine  world.”  * 

Religions  were  never  cunningly  devised  by  priests,  or  ambitious 
leaders,  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  them  to  hold  the  human  mind 
in  abject  bondage.  Nor  did  they  come  into  existence,  full-grown, 
like  Athene,  the  Jove-born ; nor  were  they  constructed  from  the 
lessons  of  sages  or  even  of  prophets.  They  were  born,  like  men, 
not  mature  but  infantile  ; the  body  and  life  as  a single  entity, 
without  a definite  evolving  of  the  interior,  symbolized  idea,  yet 
containing  all  potentially  ; so  that  time  and  growth  were  required 
to  enable  the  intelligent  mind  to  distinguish  rightly  between  the 
form  and  the  substance  which  it  envelops  and  shadows  forth. 
When  this  substance,  like  .the  human  soul,  has  fully  developed, 
the  external  forms  and  symbols  become  of  little  value,  and  are 
cast  off  and  rejected  like  chaff  from  the  wheat.  Yet  for  the  sake 
of  their  use  they  are  to  be  valued  and  respected.  The  well- 
thinking medical  student  never  indulges  in  ribald  hilarity  at  or  in 
the  presence  of  the  corpse  which  he  dissects,  from  reverence  for 
* Etudes  cTHistoire  Religieuse,  Frothingham’s  translation. 


Introduction. 


1 1 

the  human  soul  that  was  once  its  tenant.  But  religious  symbols 
lose  their  sacredness  when  they  are  employed  to  supplant  the 
idea  which  alone  had  rendered  them  valuable. 

Let  there  be  no  contempt,  then,  for  the  Children  of  the  Mist, 
who  love  to  gaze  backward  into  the  past  to  ascertain  what  man 
has  been,  and  to  look  within  to  learn  what  he  is  and  ought  to  be. 
They  are  not  prophets  without  inspiration,  or  apostles  that  have 
no  mission.  Behind  the  vail  is  the  Shekinah ; only  the  anointed 
have  authority  to  lift  aside  the  curtain. 

Modern  science  somewhat  audaciously  has  endeavored  to  set 
aside  the  time-honored  traditions  of  a Golden  Age.  We  do  not 
undertake  to  controvert  the  new  doctrine,  so  necessary  to  estab- 
lish the  recently-traced  relationships  between  men  and  monkeys. 
The  same  social  law  which  allows  every  man  to  choose  his  own 
company,  can  be  extended  perhaps  to  the  selection  of  his 
kindred. 

But,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  perceive,  there  have  been  cycles 
of  human  development,  analogous  to  the  geological  periods,  that 
have  been  accomplished  upon  the  earth.  Men,  nations,  and 
civilizations,  like  the  seasons,  have  passed  over  the  great  theatre 
of  existence.  We  have  often  only  the  traces  of  them  in  a few 
remains  of  language,  manufacture,  and  religion.  Much  is  lost 
save  to  conjecture.  Judging  from  our  later  observations  of 
human  progress,  there  must  have  been  a long  term  of  discipline 
that  schooled  them  ; yet,  perhaps,  it  was  the  divine  intuition  and 
instinct  implanted  in  them  that  enabled  them  to  achieve  so 
much.  It  is  not  possible,  however,  to  extend  researches  back 
far  enough  to  ascertain.  We  are  not  equal  to  the  task  of  de- 
scribing the  fossils  of  a perished  world.  We  are  compelled  to 
read  the  archaic  history  through  the  forms  and  mysteries  * of 

* By  mysteries  the  educated  reader  will  not  understand  merely  doctrines  or 
symbols,  or  even  secrets  as  such,  but  a system  of  discipline  and  instruction  in 
esoteric  learning  which  was  deemed  too  sacred  and  recondite  for  those  who 
had  not  complied  with  the  essential  conditions.  Every  ancient  country  had 
its  sacerdotal  order,  the  members  of  which  had  been  initiated  into  the  mys- 
teries; and  even  Jesus  defended  his  practice  of  discoursing  in  parables  or 
allegories,  because  that  only  to  his  disciples  was  it  given  to  understand  the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  whereas  to  the  multitude  it  was  not 
given.  The  priests  of  Egypt,  the  Magians  of  the  ancient  countries  beyond 
the  river  Euphrates,  the  priests  of  Phoenicia  and  the  other  countries  of  West- 
ern Asia,  were  all  members  of  sacerdotal  colleges  that  might  not  divulge  the 
esoteric  knowledge  to  the  uninitiated.  Even  the  Brahmins  of  India  are  said 


12 


Introduction. 


religion,  and  the  peculiarities  of  language,  rather  than  in  the 
pages  of  the  annalist.  The  amber  of  mythology  has  served  to 
preserve  to  us  the  most  of  what  is  to  be  learned  on  these  topics. 

The  primitive  religion  of  mankind  is  perhaps  only  to  be  ascer- 
tained when  we  know  accurately  their  original  habitats.  But  this, 
like  the  gilded  butterfly,  eludes  our  search.  India,  Persia,  Baby- 
lonia, Syria,  Phoenicia,  Egypt,  were  but  colonies.  The  Vendidad 
indicates  a country  north  of  the  river  Oxus  ; and  Sir  William  Jones, 
adopting  the  story  of  the  learned  Sufi,  Mohsan  Fani,  declared 
his  belief  that  a powerful  monarchy  once  existed  there  long 
before  the  Assyrian  empire  ; the  history  of  which  was  engrafted 
upon  that  of  the  Hindoos,  who  colonized  the  country  between 
the  river  Indus  and  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  In  conformity  with  the 
views  of  this  writer,  Sir  William  accordingly  describes  the  prime- 
val religion  of  Iran  and  the  Aryan  peoples  as  consisting  of  “ a 
firm  belief  that  One  Supreme  God  made  the  world  by  his  power 
and  continually  governed  it  by  his  providence  : — a pious  fear, 
love,  and  adoration  of  him  ; — a due  reverence  for  parents  and 
aged  persons  ; a paternal  affection  for  the  whole  human  species, 
and  a compassionate  tenderness  even  for  the  brute  creation.” 

But,  however  much  of  truth  there  may  be  in  this  description,  it 
evidently  relates  only  to  the  blonde  races.  We  see  plainly  enough 
the  engrafting  of  “ history,”  or  rather  legends,  in  many  other 
countries,  as  well  as  among  the  Brahmins  of  India.  The  Hebrew 
records,  tracing  their  patriarchs  to  Egypt  and  Assyria,  are  prob- 

to  have  also  their  mysteries  at  the  present  time  ; and  the  late  Godfrey  Hig- 
gins relates  that  a Mr.  Ellis  was  enabled,  by  aid  of  the  masonic  tokens,  to 
enter  the  penetralia  of  a temple  in  the  presidency  of  Madras.  That  there  is 
some  such  “ freemasonry  ” existing  in  many  of  the  countries  which  we  denom- 
inate uncivilized  and  pagan,  is  probable.  The  early  Christians  and  heretical 
sects  had  also  their  signs  of  recognition,  and  were  distinguished  like  the  ini- 
tiates of  the  older  worships,  according  to  their  grade,  as  neophytes  (i  Tim- 
othy iii.  6),  spiritual,  and  perfect.  The  mysteries  most  familiar  to  classical 
readers  are  the  Eleusinia,  which  appear  to  have  descended  from  the  pre- 
historic periods.  Pococke  declares  them  to  have  been  of  Tartar  origin, 
which  is  certainly  plausible,  and  to  have  combined  Brahminical  and  Bud- 
dhistical  ideas.  Those  admitted  only  to  the  Lesser  Mysteries  were  denomi- 
nated Mystce,  or  vailed ; those  initiated  into  the  Greater  Mysteries  were 
epoptai,  or  seers.  Socrates  was  not  initiated,  yet  after  drinking  the  hemlock 
he  addresses  Crito  : “ We  owe  a cock  to  Aisculapius.”  This  was  the  peculiar 
offering  made  by  initiates  on  the  eve  of  the  last  day,  and  he  thus  sublimely 
asserted  that  he  was  about  to  receive  the  great  apocalypse. 


Introduction. 


13 


ably  no  exception.  The  Garden  of  Eden  appears  to  have  been 
well  known  to  the  king  of  Tyre  (Ezekiel  xxviii.  13-16),  who  is 
styled  “ the  anointed  cherub  ; ” the  Assyrian  is  also  described 
(xxxi.  3-18)  as  a cedar  in  Lebanon,  “ fair  by  the  multitude  of  his 
branches,  so  that  all  the  trees  of  Eden  that  were  in  the  garden 
of  God  envied  him ; ” and  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  is  also 
assured  that  he  shall  “ be  brought  down  with  the  trees  of  Eden 
into  the  nether  parts  of  the  earth.”  From  that  region  Abraham 
is  reputed  to  have  emigrated,  and  its  traditions  are  probably 
therefore  consecrated  as  religious  legends. 

If  we  had  time  and  space  to  follow  this  subject,  we  might  be 
able  to  show  that  the  period  when  the  Hebrew  patriarch  is  sup- 
posed to  have  removed  from  the  region  of  the  Upper  Euphrates, 
revolutions  were  occurring  there  which  changed  the  structure  of 
society.  “Your  fathers,”  said  Joshua  to  the  assembled  Israelites, 
“ your  fathers  dwelt  on  the  other  side  of  the  flood  in  old  time,  even 
Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham  and  the  father  of  Nahor  ; and  they 
served  other  gods.”  * The  Persian  legend  of  “ Airyana-vaeja,  of 
the  good  creation  which  Anra-mainyas  (Ahriman)  full  of  death 
filled  with  evils,”  f and  the  Hebrew  story  of  the  garden  of  Eden  J 
which  was  by  the  headwaters  of  the  Oxus,  Tigris,  and  Euphrates, 
where  dwelt  the  man  and  the  woman  till  the  successful  invasion  of 
the  Serpent,  indicate  the  Great  Religious  War  of  which  traditions 
exist  in  the  principal  countries  of  ancient  time.  It  occurred 
between  the  nations  of  the  East  and  the  nations  of  the  West,  the 
Iranians  and  Turanians,  the  Solar  and  Lunar  nations,  the  Lin- 
gacitas  and  the  Yonijas,  those  who  venerated  images  and  religious 
symbols,  and  those  who  discarded  them.  Vast  bodies  of  men 
were  compelled  to  abandon  their  homes,  many  of  them  skilled 
in  the  arts  of  civilization  and  war.  Tribes  and  dynasties  emi- 
grated to  escape  slavery  and  destruction  ; and  other  climates 
received  and  cherished  those  who  had  been  deemed  unworthy  to 
live.  These  events  are  superimposed  upon  the  history  of  every 
people.  Whether  the  migration  mentioned  by  Juno  of  the  gens 
inimica , the  Trojans,  from  Troy  to  Italy,  bearing  its  political 
genius  and  conquered  divinities,  depicts  any  actual  occurrence, 
we  do  not  undertake  to  say  ; but  convulsions  did  take  place,  by 
which  peoples  once  living  as  one  nation,  the  Hindoos  and  Per- 
sians, Greeks  and  Romans,  Germans  and  Slaves,  were  divided 
* Joshua  xxiv.  2.  f Vendidad , i.  5-12.  % Genesis  ii.  and  iii. 


14 


Introduction. 


from  each  other  and  removed  to  other  regions.  The  Ethiopian 
or  Hamitic  races  underwent  a like  overturning  and  dispersion, 
probably  from  their  contests  with  the  blonde  invaders  of  the 
North.  Thus,  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis  describes  the  river 
Pison,  as  compassing  the  land  of  Ethiopia  or  Cush,  which  was 
evidently  situated  upon  the  Erythraean  or  Arabian  Sea.  The 
people  of  this  region  appear  to  have  occupied  or  colonized 
India,  Babylonia,  Arabia,  Syria,  Egypt,  and  other  countries  of  the 
West.  They  were  the  builder-race  par  excellence  ; and  carried 
civilization,  architecture,  mathematical  science,  their  arts  and 
political,  institutions  wherever  they  went.  Their  artisans,  doubt- 
less, erected  the  temples  and  pyramids  of  Egypt,  India,  and 
Babylon  ; excavated  the  mountain  of  Ellora,  the  islands  of  Sal- 
sette  and  Elephanta,  the  artificial  caves  of  Bamian,  the  rocks  of 
Petra  and  the  hypogea  of  Egypt  ; built  the  houses  of  Ad  in 
Arabia,  the  Cyclopean  structures  of  India,  Arabia,  and  the  more 
western  countries  ; constructed  ships  for  the  navigation  of  the 
seas  and  oceans,  and  devised  the  art  of  sculpture.  Mathematics 
and  astronomy,  alphabetical  as  well  as  hieroglyphical  writing, 
and  many  other  sciences,  perhaps  those  which  have  been  dis- 
covered in  later  times,  were  possessed  and  cultivated  by  these 
“ blameless  ^Ethiopians,*  most  ancient  of  men.” 

The  Hebrew  Scriptures,  which  have  been  regarded  as  especially 
the  oracles  of  religious  truth,  develop  the  fact,  as  has  been  al- 
ready suggested,  of  a close  resemblance  of  the  earlier  Israelites 
with  the  surrounding  nations.  Their  great  progenitor,  Abraham, 
is  described  as  emigrating  from  the  region  of  Chaldea,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  in  the  character  of  a dis- 
senter from  the  religion  of  that  country. f Yet  he  and  his  imme- 

* The  term  ALthiopian  cannot  be  regarded,  when  applied  to  any  ancient 
people,  as  indicating  negro  or  negroid  origin.  Like  other  names,  it  had  a 
religious  meaning,  and  was  applied  to  Zeus  or  Jupiter,  and  also  to  Prome- 
theus. The  best-defined  opinion  connects  it  with  the  serpent -worship,  which 
prevailed,  along  with  that  of  the  lingam,  among  the  Cushite  and  kindred 
peoples.  It  is  noticeable  that  ethnology  has  given  the  Chinese  and  Mon- 
golian tribes  a world  apart.  There  seems  to  be  a wall  between  them  and 
the  populations  of  other  climates.  The  Chinese  nevertheless  manifested 
themselves  occasionally  upon  the  surface  of  Asiatic  history  ; and  the  Tartars 
have  often  appeared  as  invaders  and  conquerors,  designated  in  the  metaphors 
and  allegories  of  the  old  languages,  as  floods  of  waters,  destroying  the  world. 

f Joshua  xxiv.  2,  3. 


ANCIENT  GILGALS  OR  TEMPLE-ENCLOSURES,  FOUND  IN  INDIA,  ARABIA,  SYRIA,  BARBARY,  WESTERN- 

EUROPE  AND  THE  BRITISH  ISLES 


Introduction. 


IS 


aiate  descendants  appear  to  have  at  least  employed  the  same  re- 
ligious symbols  and  forms  of  worship  as  the  people  of  Canaan 
and  Phoenicia,  who  are  recorded  to  have  already  occupied  Pales- 
tine.* * * § He  erected  altars  wherever  he  made  a residence  ; and 
“ planted  a grove  ” or  pillar  in  Beer-sheba,  as  a religious  emblem. f 
He  is  also  represented  as  conducting  his  son  to  the  land  of 
Moriah,  to  immolate  him  as  a sacrifice  to  the  Deity,  as  was  some- 
times done  by  the  Phoenicians ; and  as  was  afterwards  authorized 
in  the  Mosaic  law.J  One  of  the  suffets , or  judges,  Jephthah  the 
Gileadite,  in  like  manner  sacrificed  his  own  daughter  at  Mizpeh  ; § 
and  the  place  where  Abraham  built  his  altar  was  afterwards 
selected  as  the  site  for  the  temple  of  Solomon.  |[  Jacob  is  twice 
mentioned  as  setting  up  a pillar,  calling  the  place  Beth-el,^[ 
and  as  making  libations.  On  the  occasion  also  of  forming  a treaty 
of  amity  with  his  father-in-law,  Laban,  the  Syrian,  he  erected  a 
pillar  and  directed  his  brethren  to  pile  up  a cairn,  or  heap  of 
stones ; to  which  were  applied  the  names  Galeqd,  or  circle,  and 
Mizpeh,  or  pillar.  Monoliths,  or  “great  stones,”  appear  to  have 
been  as  common  in  Palestine  as  in  other  countries,  and  the  cairns 
and  circles  (gilgals)  were  equally  so,  as  well  as  the  mounds  or 
“high  places.”  The  suffets**  or  “judges,”  and  the  kings,  main- 
tained them  till  Hezekiah.  Samuel  the  prophet  worshipped 
ata  high  place  at  Ramah,  and  Solomon  at  the  “great  stone,”  or 
high  place  in  Gibeon.ff  There  were  also  priests,  JJ  and  we  suspect 
kadeshim , stationed  at  them.  At  Mizpeh,  probably  at  the  pillar, 

was  a seat  of  government  of  the  Israelites;  and  Joshua  setup 
a pillar  under  the  oak  of  Shechem,  by  the  sanctuary.  Jephthah 
the  judge  made  his  residence  at  the  former  place,  and  his  daugh- 

* Genesis  xii.  6 ; xiii.  7. 

f Genesis  xxi.  33. 

| Leviticus  xxvii.  28,  29. 

§ Judges  xi.  30,  31,  and  34-40. 

|1  2 Chronicles  iii.  1. 

Tf  Genesis  xxxviii.  18-22  ; xxxv.  1— 1 5. 

**  The  sufifet  was  a magistrate  under  the  Phoenician  system,  as  is  observed  at 
Carthage.  The  patriarchal  government  was  that  of  sheiks,  as  among  the 
nomadic  Arabs,  while  the  Israelites  of  Goshen  and  the  desert  are  described 
as  being  organized  like  the  Arabs  of  the  towns. 

ft  1 Kings  iii.  4.  See  also  ch.  xv.  14 ; xv.  14 ; xv.  14 ; xxii.  43.  2 Kings  xii. 
2 ; xiv.  4 ; xv.  4. 

If  2 Kings  xxiii.  9. 


l6 


Introduction. 


ter,  the  Iphigenia  of  the  Book  of  Judges,  was  immolated  there. 
Samuel  was  also  inaugurated  there  as  suffet  of  Israel.  There 
were  other  “ great  stones  ” mentioned,  as  Abel,,  Bethshemesh  or 
Heliopolis  ; Ezel,  where  David  met  with  Jonathan  ; and  Eben- 
ezer,  erected  by  Samuel  on  the  occasion  of  a victory  over  the 
Philistines. 

But  Hezekiah  appears  to  have  changed  the  entire  Hebrew 
religious  polity.  He  removed  the  Hermaic  or  Dionysiac  statues, 
and  the  conical  omphalic  emblems  of  Venus-Ashtoreth  ; over- 
threw the  mounds  and  altars,  and  broke  in  pieces  the  serpent  of 
brass  made  by  Moses,  to  which  the  people  had  burned  incense 
“ unto  those  days.”  Josiah  afterwards  also  promulgated  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  was  equally  iconoclastic.  He  removed  the  para- 
phernalia of  the  worship  of  the  sun,  destroyed  the  image  of 
Semel,  or  Hermes,  expelled  the  kadeshim , or  consecrated  men 
and  women,  from  the  cloisters  of  the  Temple,  and  destroyed  the 
statutes  and  emblems  of  Venus  and  Adonis.  * 

We  have  suggested  that  Abraham  was  represented  in  the  char- 
acter of  a dissenter  from  the  worship  prevailing  at  “ Ur  of  the 
Khasdim.”  As  remarked  on  a subsequent  page  by  Mr.  Wake, 
“ that  some  great  religious  movement,  ascribed  by  tradition  to 
Abraham,  did  take  place  among  the  Semites  at  an  early  date,  is 
undoubted.”  It  may  have  been  the  “ Great  Religious  War.” 
The  religion  of  the  patriarchs  appears  to  have  had  some  affinity 
with  that  of  the  Persians,  insomuch  that  some  writers  intimate 
an  identity  of  origin.  This  was  certainly  the  case  at  a later 
period.  Other  peoples  were  also  driven  to  emigration.  Many 
Scythian  nations  abandoned  their  former  seats.  The  Phoeni- 
cians left  their  country  on  the  Erythrean  Sea,  and  emigrated  to 
the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  Pali,  or  shepherds  on  the 
Indus,  removed  to  the  west.  A part  of  the  population  of 
Asiatic  Ethiopia,  or  Beluchistan,  it  is  supposed,  also  emigrated. 
The  Hyk-sos,f  during  the  Sixth  Dynasty  of  the  Old  Monarchy, 

* 2 Kings  xxiii.  4-20. 

f Manetho  translates  this  term,  from  the  “sacred  language,”  kingly  shep- 
herds ; hyk  signifying  king,  and  sos  a shepherd.  He  seems  to  hesitate,  how- 
ever, for  he  also  remarks  that  “ some  say  that  they  were  Arabians,”  and  that 
“ in  the  sacred  books  they  were  also  styled  captives.”  Shos  signifies  Arabian, 
and  sus  a horse.  Are  we  not  allowed  to  suppose  them  to  be  shepherds  as 
rearing  and  using  horses  ? They  appear  to  have  introduced  the  horse  into 
Egypt,  which  makes  this  idea  seem  plausible. 


Introduction. 


17 


appeared  in  Egypt.  Josephus,  abandoning  his  own  history  of 
Jewish  Antiquities,  construes  the  account  by  Manetho,  in  regard 
to  them,  as  relating  to  the  ancient  Hebrews,  remarking:  “Our 
ancestors  had  the  dominion  over  their  country.”  * If  we  might 
interpret  the  story  of  Abraham  and  other  patriarchs  as  we  would 
the  traditions  of  other  nations,  we  would  assign  to  it  a religious 
or  esoteric  meaning  rather  than  a secular  and  historical  one,  and 
fix  a later  period  for  the  beginning  of  the  authentic  annals.  The 
early  association  of  the  Shemitic  with  the  Ethiopian  nations,  how- 
ever, appears  to  be  abundantly  corroborated  by  profane  as  well 
as  sacred  history. 

Similarity  of  customs  indicate  that  the  “ chosen  people,”  if 
they  had  a separate  political  existence,  were  in  other  respects 
substantially  like  the  earlier  nations.  We  may  expect  to  find 
these  resemblances  close  enough  to  show  even  a family  likeness. 
Of  course,  every  intelligent  reader  is  aware  that  the  Hamitic  and 
Shemitic  populations  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe,  belonged  to 
what  is  denominated  the  Caucasian  or  Indo-Germanic  race. 

The  earliest  deity  of  the  Ethiopian  or  Hamitic  nations,  whose 
worship  was  most  general,  was  the  one  known  in  the  Bible  by 
the  designation  of  Baal.  He  bore,  of  course,  a multiplicity  of 
titles,  which  were  often  personified  as  distinct  tpnbx  aleim , or 
divinities  ; besides  having  in  Syria  a separate  name  for  every 
season  of  the  year.  In  the  Sanscrit  language  he  was  styled 
Maha  Deva , or  Supreme  God  ; and  after  the  Aryan  conquest, 
was  added  to  the  Brahmin  Trimourti  under  the  title  Siva.  Other 
names  are  easily  traced  in  the  Hamitic  languages  ; as  Bala  in 
Bel,  the  tutelar  deity  of  Babylon  ; Deva  Nahusha,  or  Dionysus,  of 
Arabia  and  Thrace ; Iswara,  or  Oseiris,  of  Egypt.  In  western 
mythology  he  become  more  generally  known  through  the  Phoe- 
nicians. In  Tyre  he  was  Mel-karth,  the  lord  of  the  city ; in 
Syria  he  was  Adonis  and  Moloch  ; but  all  through  Europe  he  is 
best  known  by  the  hero-name  Hercules.  His  twelve  labors 
typify  the  sun  passing  through  the  signs  of  the  zodiac ; his  con- 
quests in  the  west  show  whither  the  Phoenician  navigators  di- 
rected their  course ; while  the  maypoles,  Bal-fires,  and  other 
remnants  of  old  worships,  exist  as  his  memorials.  The  story  of 
his  achievements  is  a fair  outline  of  the  history  of  Phoenician 
adventure. 


Against  AJ>ion,  i.  25. 


i8 


Introduction. 


“ The  wonderful  and  universal  power  of  light  and  heat,”  says 
that  most  modest  and  amiable  writer,  Mrs.  Lydia  Maria  Child,* 
“has  caused  tire  Sun  to  be  worshipped  as  a visible  emblem  of 
deity  in  the  infancy  of  nearly  all  nations.  Water  is  recognized 
as  another  obvious  ;ymbol  of  divine  influence.  Hence  the 
sacred  rivers,  fountains,  and  wells  abounding  in  Hindostan.  The 
Air  is  likewise  to  them  a consecrated  emblem.  Invisible,  pervad- 
ing all  space,  and  necessary  to  the  life  of  all  creatures,  it 
naturally  suggests  the  spirit  of  God.  Nearly  all  languages  de- 
scribe the  soul  by  some  phrase  similar  in  signification  to  ‘ the 
breath  of  life.’  Brahm  is  sometimes  called  Alma,  or  the  Breath- 
ing Soul. 

“ Other  emblems  deemed  sacred  by  the  Hindoos,  and  wor- 
shipped in  their  temples,  have  brought  upon  them  the  charge  of 
gross  indecency.  But  if  it  be  true  at  the  present  time,  it  prob- 
ably was  not  so  at  the  beginning.  When  the  world  was  in  its 
infancy,  people  spoke  and  acted  with  more  of  the  simplicity  and 
directness  of  little  children  than  they  do  at  present.  In  the  in- 
dividual child,  and  in  the  childhood  of  society,  whatever  is  incom- 
prehensible produces  religious  awe.  As  the  reflective  faculties 
develop,  man  is  solemnly  impressed  with  the  wonders  of  creation, 
in  the  midst  of  which  his  soul  wakes  up,  as  it  were,  from  a dream. 
And  what  so  miraculous  as  the  advent  of  this  conscious  soul  into 
the  marvellous  mechanism  of  a human  body?  If  Light  with 
its  grand  revealings,  and  Heat  making  the  earth  fruitful  with 
beauty,  excited  wonder  and  worship  in  the  first  inhabitants  of  our 
world,  is  it  strange  that  they  likewise  regarded  with  reverence 
the  great  mystery  of  human  Birth?  Were  they  impure  thus  to 
regard  it?  Or,  are  we  impure  that  we  do  7tot  so  regard  it  ? We 
have  travelled  far,  and  unclean  have  been  the  paths,  since  those 
old  anchorites  first  spoke  of  God  and  the  soul  in  the  solemn 
depths  of  their  first  sanctuaries.  Let  us  not  smile  at  their  mode 
of  tracing  the  infinite  and  Incomprehensible  Cause  throughout  all 
the  mysteries  of  Nature,  lest  by  so  doing  we  cast  the  shadow  of 
our  own  grossness  on  their  patriarchal  simplicity. 

“ From  time  immemorial,  an  emblem  has  been  worshipped 
in  Hindostan  as  the  type  of  creation,!  or  the  origin  of  life.  It 

* Progress  of  Religious  Ideas  through  Successive  Ages.  Vol.  i,  pp.  15, 

1 6,  17. 

f The  first  verse  of  the  Book  of  Genesis  declares  creation  to  have  been  a 


AN  ENTABLATURE  REPRESENTING  THE  SAKTI  PUJA,  OR  WORSHIP  OF  THE  LINGA- 

YONI  IN  INDIA. 


Introduction. 


19 


t 

is  the  most  common  symbol  of  Siva  [Baal  or  Maha  Deva],  and 
is  universally  connected  with  his  worship.  To  understand  the 
original  intention  of  this  custom,  we  should  remember  that 
Siva  was  not  merely  the  reproducer  of  human  forms ; he  rep- 
resented the  Fructifying  Principle,  the  Generating  Power  that 
pervades  the  universe,  producing  sun,  moon,  stars,  men,  animals, 
and  plants.  The  symbol  to  which  we  have  alluded  is  always  in 
his  temples.  It  is  usually  placed  in  the  inmost  recess,  or  sanc- 
tuary, sculptured  in  granite,  marble,  or  ivory,  often  crowned  with 
dowers,  and  surmounted  by  a golden  star.  Lamps  are  kept 
burning  before  it,  and  on  festival  occasions  it  is  illuminated  by  a 
lamp  with  seven  branches,  supposed  to  represent  the  planets.  * 
Small  images  of  this  emblem,  carved  in  ivory,  gold,  or  crystal, 
are  often  worn  as  ornaments  about  the  neck.  The  pious  use 
them  in  their  prayers,  and  often  have  them  buried  with  them. 
Devotees  of  Siva  have  it  written  on  their  foreheads  in  the  form 
of  a perpendicular  mark.  The  maternal  emblem  is  likewise  a 
religious  type  ; and  worshippers  of  Vishnu  represent  it  on  their 
forehead  by  a horizontal  mark,  with  three  short  perpendicular 
lines.” 

These  symbols  are  found  in  the  temple-excavations  of  the 
islands  of  Salsette  and  Elephanta,  of  unknown  antiquity ; in 
the  grotto-temples  of  Ellora,  at  the  “ Seven  Pagodas.”  on  the 
Coromandel  coast,  in  the  old  temple  at  Tanjore,  and  elsewhere, 
where  Siva-worship  is  in  the  ascendant.  Although  these  symbols, 
the  lingam  and  yoni,  have  been  adopted  by  the  Brahmins,  there 
is  little  harmony  between  the  Lingayats  and  Vishnavites.  “ In 
the  sacrifice  of  Wisdom,”  says  Daksha,  “ no  Brahmin  is  wanted 
to  officiate.”  The  Rig-Veda  denounces  the  “ lascivious  wretch- 
es ” who  adore  the  sexual  emblems,  in  such  language  as  this  : 
“Let  not  the  lascivious  wretches  approach  our  sacred  rites,  f 
“The  irresistible  [Indra]  overcame  the  lascivious  wretches.” 

In  her  chapter  on  Egypt,  Mrs.  Child  again  remarks  : “ Because 
plants  cannot  germinate  without  water,  vases  full  of  it  were 

series  of  Toledoth,  or  generations.  It  is  properly  translated:  “God  (the 
Aleivi)  engendered  (B’RA)  the  heavens  and  the  earth.” 

* The  seven-branched  candlestick  of  the  Mosaic  tabernacle  has  here  its  pro- 
totype. 

f Rig-Veda,  vii.  21  : 5 ; and  x.  99  : 3.  The  term  used  is  Sisna-devas,  or 
phallus-gods. 


20 


Introduction. 


carried  at  the  head  of  processions  in  honor  of  Oseiris,  and  his 
votaries  refrained  from  destroying  or  polluting  any  spring.  This 
reverence  for  the  production  of  Life,  introduced  into  his  worship 
the  sexual  emblems  so  common  in  Hindostan.  A colossal  image 
of  this  kind  was  presented  to  his  temple  in  Alexandria,  by  King 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus.  Crowned  with  gold  and  surmounted  by  a 
golden  star,  it  was  carried  in  a splendid  chariot  in  the  midst  of 
religious  processions.  A serpent,  the  emblem  of  Immortality, 
always  accompanies  the  image  of  Oseiris.”  . . . 

“ Reverence  for  the  mystery  of  organized  life  led  to  the  recog- 
nition of  a masculine  and  feminine  principle  in  all  things  spiritual 
or  material.  Every  elemental  force  was  divided  into  two,  the 
parents  of  other  forces.  The  active  wind  was  masculine,  the 
passive  mist,  or  inert  atmosphere,  was  feminine.  Rocks  were 
masculine,  the  productive  earth  was  feminine.  The  presiding 
deity  of  every  district  \nome\  was  represented  as  a Triad  or 
Trinity.  At  Thebes  it  was  Amun,  the  creative  Wisdom  ; Neith, 
the  spiritual  Mother;  and  a third,  supposed  to  represent  the 
Universe.  At  Philse  it  was  Oseiris,  the  generating  Cause  ; Isis, 
the  receptive  Mould,  and  Horus,  the  Result.  The  sexual  em- 
blems everywhere  conspicuous  in  the  sculptures  of  their  temples 
would  seem  impure  in  description,  but  no  clean  and  thoughtful 
mind  could  so  regard  them  while  witnessing  the  obvious  simplicity 
and  solemnity  with  which  the  subject  is  treated.” 

“All  the  idolaters  of  that  day,”  says  Colonel  Tod,*  seem  to 
have  held  the  grosser  tenets  of  Hinduism.  . . When  Judah  did 
evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  ‘built  them  high  places  and 
images  and  groves  [mounds,  hermaic  pillars,  and  omphalic 
statues]  on  every  high  hill  and  under  every  green  tree,’  the 
object  was  Bal;  and  the  pillar  (the  lingam,  matzebah  or  phallus) 
was  his  symbol. f It  was  on  his  altar  that  they  burned  incense, 
and  1 sacrificed  unto  the  Calf  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  eighth 
month,’  the  sacred  Amavus  of  the  Hindus.  The  Calf  of  Israel 
is  the  Bull  (nanda)  of  Balcesar  or  Iswara,  the  Apis  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Oseiris.  . . Mahadeva,  or  Iswara,  is  the  tutelary  divinity  of 
the  Rajpoots  in  Mewar,  and  from  the  early  annals  of  the  dynasty 
appears  to  have  been,  with  his  consort  Isa,  the  sole  object  of 

* Rajasthan,  vol.  i.,  76-79. 

•j-  i Kings  xiv.  22.  The  introduction  of  kadeshitn,  or  persons  consecrated 
and  set  apart,  like  nautch-girls,  or  almas,  is  first  mentioned  in  this  connection. 


Introduction. 


21 


Gehlote  adoration.  Iswara  is  adored  under  the  epithet  of  Ek- 
linga,  and  is  either  worshipped  in  his  monolithic  symbol,  or  as 
Iswara  Chaomukhi,  the  quadriform  divinity  represented  by  a 
bust  with  four  faces.” 

These  spectacles,  however,  were  regarded  as  sacred,  and  few 
regarded  them  as  possessing  moral  turpitude.  “This  worship 
was  so  general  as  to  have  spread  itself  over  a large  part  of  the 
habitable  globe ; for  it  flourished  for  many  ages  in  Egypt  and 
Syria,  Persia,  Asia  Minor,  Greece,  and  Italy ; it  was  and  still  is  in 
vigor  in  India  and  many  parts  of  Africa,  and  was  even  found  in 
America  on  its  discovery  by  the  Spaniards.”  * 

Being  regarded  as  the  most  sacred  objects  of  worship,  and 
consecrated  by  religion,  the  cultus  was  associated  with  every  idea 
and  sentiment  which  was  regarded  as  ennobling  to  man.  The 
reflecting  men  of  all  the  older  ages,  down  to  Plato,  Plotinus, 
Iamblichus,  and  the  followers  of  the  Gnosis,  all  paid  like  respect 
to  the  great  arcanum  of  life  and  of  Man.  We  need  not  look 
superciliously  upon  their  veneration ; for  however  different  our 
modes  of  thought,  however  exaggerated  above  theirs  our  fasti- 
diousness, we  cannot  escape  the  same  problems  which  they  thus 
labored  to  solve,  nor  the  necessity  to  realize  the  vailing  and  the 
apocalypse  which  the  symbols  and  the  mysteries  foreshadowed. 

* Aphrodisiacs  and  Anti- Aphrodisiacs.  Three  Essays  on  the  Powers  of 
Reproduction,  with  some  Account  of  the  Judicial  “ Congress,”  as  practised  in 
France  during  the  Seventeenth  Century.  By  John  Davenport.  Small  quarto, 
with  eight  full-page  illustrations.  London,  1869. 


PHALLIC  WORSHIP  .* 

BY  HODDER  M.  WESTROPP. 


Human  Nature  is  the  same  in  all  climes ; and  the 
workings  of  this  same  human  nature  are  almost  identical 
in  the  different  stages  of  its  growth.  Hence  similar  and 
analogous  ideas,  beliefs,  and  superstitious  practices  are  fre- 
quently evolved  independently  among  different  peoples. 
These  are  the  result  of  suggestions  arising  spontaneously 
in  the  human  mind  at  certain  stages  of  its  development, 
and  which  seem  almost  universal. 

As  a remarkable  instance  of  this,  I have  drawn  up  the 
following  sketch  of  phallic  worship,  which  was  one  of 
those  beliefs  or  superstitious  practices  which  have  sprung 
up  independently,  and  which  seem  to  have  extensively 
prevailed  among  many  nations. 

It  will  acquire  additional  interest  when  it  is  considered 
that  it  is  the  most  ancient  of  the  superstitions  of  the  hu- 
man race,  that  it  has  prevailed  more  or  less  among  all 
known  people  in  ancient  times,  and  that  it  has  been 
handed  down  even  to  a very  late  and  Christian  period. 

In  the  earlier  ages  the  operations  of  nature  made  a 
stronger  impression  on  the  minds  of  men.  Those  ideas, 
springing  from  the  constant  observation  of  the  modes  of 
acting  in  nature,  were  consequently  more  readily  suggested 
to  the  minds  of  all  races  of  men  in  the  primitive  ages. 

Two  causes  must  have  forcibly  struck  the  minds  of  men 
in  those  early  periods  when  observant  of  the  operations  of 
nature,  one  the  generative  power,  and  the  other  the  pro- 
ductive, the  active  and  passive  causes.  This  double  mode 

* A paper  read  before  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  April  5th, 
1870. 


24 


Phallic  Worship. 


of  production  visible  in  nature  must  have  given  rise  to 
comparisons  with  the  mode  of  proceeding  in  the  genera- 
tion of  animals,  in  which  two  causes  concur,  the  one  act- 
ive and  the  other  passive,  the  one  male  and  the  other 
female,  the  one  as  father,  the  other  as  mother.  These 
ideas  were  doubtless  suggested  independently  and  sponta- 
neously in  different  countries  ; for  the  human  mind  is  so 
constituted  that  the  same  objects  and  the  same  operations 
of  nature  will  suggest  like  ideas  in  the  minds  of  men  of  all 
races,  however  widely  apart. 

Nature  to  the  early  man  was  not  brute  matter,  but  a be- 
ing invested  with  his  own  personality,  and  endowed  with 
the  same  feelings,  passions,  and  performing  the  same  ac- 
tions. He  could  only  conceive  the  course  of  nature  from 
the  analogy  to  his  own  actions.  Generation,  begetting — 
production,  bringing  forth — were  thus  his  ideas  of  cause 
and  effect.  The  earth  was  looked  upon  as  the  mould  of 
nature,  as  the  recipient  of  seeds,  the  nurse  of  what  was 
produced  in  its  bosom  ; the  sky  was  the  fecundating  and 
fertilizing  power.  An  analogy  was  suggested  in  the  union 
of  the  male  and  female.  These  comparisons  are  found 
in  ancient  writers.  “ The  sky,”  Plutarch  says,  “appeared 
to  men  to  perform  the  functions  of  a father,  as  the  earth 
those  of  a mother.  The  sky  was  the  father,  for  it  cast 
seed  into  the  bosom  of  the  earth,  which  in  receiving  them 
became  fruitful  and  brought  forth,  and  was  the  mother.” 

This  union  has  been  sung  in  the  following  verses  by 
Virgil : 

“ Turn  pater  omnipotens  fecundis  imbribis  aether 
Conjngis  in  gremium  ketae  descendit.” — Geor.  II. 

Columella  has  related,  in  his  treatise  on  agriculture, 
the  loves  of  nature,  or  the  marriage  of  heaven  and  earth, 
which  takes  place  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 

These  ideas  bear  a prominent  partin  the  religious  creeds 
of  several  nations.  In  Egypt  the  Deity  or  principle  of 
generation  was  Khem,  called  “the  father  ” — the  abstract 
idea  of  father  ; as  the  goddess  Maut  was  that  of  mother. 
The  office  of  Khem  was  not  confined  to  the  procreation 


Phallic  Worship. 


25 


and  continuation  of  the  human  species,  but  extended  even 
to  the  vegetable  world,  over  which  he  presided,  when 
we  find  his  statue  accompanied  by  trees  and  plants  ; and 
kings  offering  to  him  herbs  of  the  ground,  cutting  the  corn 
before  him,  or  employed  in  his  presence  tilling  the  land,  and 
preparing  it  to  receive  the  generating  influence  of  the  deity. 

In  the  Saiva  Purana  of  the  Hindoos,  Siva  says  : “From 
the  supreme  spirit  proceed  Purusha  (the  generative  or 
male  principle),  Prakriti  (the  productive  or  female  princi- 
ple), and  Tirue  ; and  by  them  was  produced  this  universe, 
the  manifestation  of  the  one  god.  ...  Of  all  organs  of 
sense  and  intellect,  the  best  is  mind,  which  proceeds  from 
Ahankara,  Ahankara  from  intellect,  intellect  from  the  su- 
preme being,  who  is,  in  fact,  Purusha.  It  is  the  primeval 
male,  whose  form  constitutes  the  universe,  and  whose 
breath  is  the  sky  ; and  though  incorporeal,  that  male  am 
I.”  In  the  Kritya  Tatwa,  Siva  is  thus  addressed  by 
Brahma  : “I  know  that  Thou,  O Lord,  art  the  eternal 
Brahm,  that  seed  which,  being  received  in  the  womb  of 
thy  Sakti  (aptitude  to  conceive),  produced  this  universe  ; 
that  thou  united  with  thy  Sakti  dost  create  the  universe 
from  thine  own  substance  like  the  web  from  the  spider.” 
In  the  same  creed  Siva  is  the  personification  of  the  sun 
(which  he  is  equally  with  Surya)  or  fire,  the  genial  heat 
which  pervades,  generates  and  vivifies  all ; and  Bhavani, 
who,  as  the  goddess  of  nature  is  also  the  earth,  is  the  uni- 
versal mother. 

Among  the  Assyrians,  the  supreme  god,  Bel,  was  styled 
“ the  procreator  ” ; and  his  wife,  the  goddess  Mylitta,  re- 
presented the  productive  principle  of  nature,  and  received 
the  title  of  the  queen  of  fertility.  Another  deity,  the  god 
Vul,  the  god  of  the  atmosphere,  is  styled  the  beneficent 
chief,  the  giver  of  abundance,  the  lord  of  fecundity.  On 
Assyrian  cylinders  he  is  represented  as  a phallic  deity. 
With  him  is  associated  a goddess  Shala,  whose  ordinary 
title  is  “ Sarrat,”  queen,  the  feminine  of  the  word  “ Sar,” 
which  means  chief.  Sir  Plenry  Rawlinson  remarks,  with 
regard  to  the  Assyrian  San,  or  Shamas,  the  sun-god,  that 
2 


26 


Phallic  Worship. 


the  idea  of  the  motive  influence  of  the  sun-god  in  all 
human  affairs  arose  from  the  manifest  agency  of  the 
material  sun  in  stimulating  the  functions  of  nature.  In 
Phoenician  mythology,  Ouranos  (heaven)  weds  Ghe  (the 
earth),  and  by  her  becomes  father  of  Oceanus,  Hype- 
ron,  Iapetus,  Cronos,  and  other  gods.  In  conformity 
with  the  religious  ideas  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  Virgil 
describes  the  products  of  the  earth  as  the  result  of  the 
conjugal  act  between  Jupiter  (the  sky)  and  Juno  (the 
earth).  According  to  St.  Augustin,  the  sexual  organ  of 
man  was  consecrated  in  the  temple  of  Liber,  that  of 
woman  in  the  sanctuaries  of  Libera ; these  two  divinities 
were  named  father  and  mother. 

In  the  month  of  April,  when  the  fertilizing  powers  of 
nature  begin  to  operate  and  its  productive  powers  to  be 
visibly  developed,  a festival  in  honor  of  Venus  took  place 
at  Rome  ; in  it  the  phallus  was  carried  in  a cart,  and  led 
in  procession  by  the  Roman  ladies  to  the  temple  of  Venus 
outside  the  Colline  gate,  and  then  presented  by  them  to 
the  sexual  parts  of  the  goddess.  This  is  only  symbolizing 
the  same  idea  as  expressed  by  Virgil  in  the  Georgies.  We 
find  similar  ideas  in  the  religious  creeds  of  America,  and 
of  the  remote  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  According  to 
the  Indians  of  Central  America,  Famagostad  and  Zipal- 
tonal,  the  first  male  and  the  second  female,  created  heaven, 
earth,  man,  and  all  things. 

The  Tahitians  imagined  that  everything  which  exists  in 
the  universe  proceeds  from  the  union  of  two  beings  : one 
of  them  was  named  Taroataihetounou  ; the  other  Tepapa: 
they  were  supposed  to  produce  continually  and  by  connec- 
tion the  days  and  months.  Those  islanders  supposed 
that  the  sun  and  moon,  which  are  gods,  had  begotten  the 
stars,  and  that  the  eclipses  were  the  time  of  their  copulation. 

A New  Zealand  myth  says  we  have  two  primeval  an- 
cestors, a father  and  a mother.  They  are  rangi  and  papa, 
heaven- and  earth.  The  earth,  out  of  which  all  things  are 
produced,  is  our  mother  ; the  protecting  and  overruling 
heaven  is  our  father. 


Phallic  Worship. 


27 


It  is  thus  evident  that  the  doctrine  of  the  reciprocal 
principles  of  nature,  or  nature  active  and  passive,  male 
and  female,  was  recognized  in  nearly  all  the  primitive 
religious  systems  of  the  old  as  well  as  of  the  new  world, 
and  in  none  more  clearly  than  in  those  of  Central  Amer- 
ica ; thus  proving,  not  only  the  wide  extent  of  the  doc- 
trine, but  also  its  separate  and  independent  origin,  spring- 
ing from  those  innate  principles  which  are  common  to 
human  nature  in  all  climes  and  races.  Hence  the  almost 
universal  reverence  paid  to  the  images  of  the  sexual  parts, 
as  they  were  regarded  as  symbols  and  types  of  the  gen- 
erative and  productive  principles  in  nature,  and  of  those 
gods  and  goddesses  who  were  the  representatives  of  the 
same  principles.  The  Phallus  and  the  Cteis,  the  Lingam 
and  the  Yoni — the  special  parts  contributing  to  genera- 
tion and  production,  becoming  thus  symbols  of  those 
active  and  passive  causes,  could  not  but  become  objects 
of  reverence  and  worship.  The  union  of  the  two  symbol- 
ized the  creative  energy  of  all  nature  ; for  almost  all  prim- 
itive religion  consisted  in  the  reverence  and  worship 
paid  to  nature  and  its  operations. 

Evidence  that  this  worship  extensively  prevailed  will  be 
found  in  many  countries,  both  in  ancient  and  modern 
times.  It  occurs  in  ancient  Egypt,  in  India,  in  Syria,  in 
Babylon,  among  the  Assyrians,  in  Persia,  Greece,  Italy, 
Spain,  Germany,  Scandinavia,  and  among  the  Gauls.  In 
Egypt,  the  phallus  is  frequently  represented  as  the  sym- 
bol of  generation.  According  to  Ptolemy,  the  phallus 
was  the  object  of  religious  worship  among  the  Assyrians 
and  also  among  the  Persians.  In  Syria,  Baal-Peor  was 
represented  with  a phallus  in  his  mouth,  according  to  St. 
Jerome.  The  Jews  did  not  escape  this  worship  ; and  we 
see  their  women  manufacturing  phalli  of  gold  and  of  sil- 
ver, as  we  find  in  Ezekiel  xvi.  1 y.*  Among  the  Hindoos 
a religious  reverence  was  paid  to  the  Lingam  and  Yoni, 

* “ Thou  didst  take  also  thy  fair  jewels  of  my  gold,  and  didst  make  to  thy- 
self images  of  men,  and  didst  commit  fornication  with  them.” — Noyes's 
Translation  of  Ezekiel. 


28 


Phallic  Worship. 


and  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans  to  the  Phallus  and 
Cteis.  Among  the  Teutons  and  Scandinavians,  the  god 
Fricco,  corresponding  to  the  Friapus  of  the  Romans,  was 
adored  under  the  form  of  a phallus  ; a similar  god  under 
a similar  symbol  was  adored  in  Spain,  whose  name  was 
Hortanes. 

This  worship  has  been  found  in  different  parts  of  Amer- 
ica, in  Mexico,  in  Peru,  at  Hayti ; it  still  prevails  at  the 
present  day  in  a great  part  of  India  and  Thibet.  Accord 
ing  to  Mr.  Stephens,  the  upright  pillar  in  front  of  the 
temples  of  Yucatan  is  a phallus.  We  read  in  an  ancient 
document  written  by  one  of  the  companions  of  Fernando 
Cortez  : “ In  certain  countries,  and  particularly  at  Panu- 
co,  they  adore  the  phallus  (il  membro  che  portano  gli 
nomini  fra  le  gambe),  and  it  is  preserved  in  the  temples.” 
The  inhabitants  of  Tlascala  also  paid  worship  to  the  sex- 
ual organs  of  a man  and  woman.  In  Peru,  several  repre- 
sentations in  clay  of  the  phallus  are  met  with.  At  Hayti, 
according  to  Mr.  Artaud,  phalli  have  been  discovered  in 
different  parts  of  the  island,  and  are  believed  to  be 
undoubtedly  the  manufacture  of  the  original  inhabitants 
of  the  island.  In  one  of  the  Marianne  islands  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  on  festive  occasions,  a phallus,  highly  orna- 
mented, called  by  the  natives  Tinas,  is  carried  in  procession. 

Among  the  simple  and  primitive  races  of  men,  the  act 
of  generation  was  considered  as  no  more  than  one  of  the 
operations  of  nature  contributing  to  the  reproduction  of 
the  species,  as  in  agriculture  the  sowing  of  seed  for  the 
production  of  corn,  and  was  consequently  looked  upon  as 
a solemn  duty  consecrated  to  the  Deity  ; as  Payne  Knight 
remarks,  it  was  considered  as  a solemn  sacrament  in 
honor  of  the  Creator. 

In  those  early  ages,  all  the  operations  of  nature  were 
consecrated  to  some  divinity,  from  whom  they  were  sup- 
posed to  emanate  ; thus  the  sowing  of  seed  was  presided 
over  by  Ceres. 

In  Egypt,  the  act  of  generation  was  consecrated  to 
Khem  ; in  Assyria,  to  Vul ; in  India,  to  Siva  ; in  Greece, 


Phallic  Worship. 


29 


in  the  primitive  pastoral  age,  to  Pan  ; and  in  later  times, 
to  Priapus ; and  in  Italy,  to  Mutinus.  Among  the  Mexi- 
cans, the  god  of  generation  was  named  Triazoltenti. 
These  gods  became  the  representatives  of  the  generative 
or  fructifying  powers  in  man  and  nature. 

The  following  curious  passage,  fromCook’s  First  Voy- 
age, will  show  that  almost  similar  views  were  entertained 
by  a primitive  race  in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
which  must  have  been  suggested  independently,  from 
their  complete  disconnection  with  the  ancient  world  : 

“ On  the  14th  I directed  that  divine  service  should  be 
performed  at  the  fort : we  were  desirous  that  some  of  the 
principal  Indians  should  be  present,  but  when  the  hour 
came,  most  of  them  returned  home.  Mr.  Banks,  however, 
crossed  the  river,  and  brought  back  Tubourai  Tamaide 
and  his  wife  Tomio,  hoping  that  it  would  give  occasion  to 
some  inquiries  on  their  part,  and  some  instruction  on 
ours  : having  seated  them,  he  placed  himself  between 
them,  and  during  the  whole  service,  they  very  attentively 
observed  his  behavior,  and  very  exactly  imitated  it ; 
standing,  sitting,  or  kneeling,  as  they  saw  him  do  ; they 
were  conscious  that  we  were  employed  about  somewhat 
serious  and  important,  as  appeared  by  their  calling  to  the 
Indians  without  the  fort  to  be  silent ; yet  when  the  service 
was  over,  neither  of  them  asked  any  questions,  nor  would 
they  attend  to  any  attempt  that  was  made  to  explain 
what  had  been  done. 

“ Such  were  our  motives ; our  Indians  thought  fit  to 
perform  vespers  of  a different  kind.  . A young  man,  near 
six  feet  high,  performed  the  rites  of  Venus  with  a little 
girl  about  eleven  or  twelve  years  of  age,  before  several  of 
our  people  and  a great  number  of  the  natives,  without  the 
least  sense  of  being  indecent  or  improper  ; but,  as  ap- 
peared, in  perfect  conformity  to  the  custom  of  the  place. 
Among  the  spectators  were  several  women  of  superior 
rank,  particularly  Oberea,  who  may  properly  be  said  to 
have  assisted  at  the  ceremony.”  * 

* Hawkesworth’s  Voyages , vol.  i.  ch.  12. 


30 


Phallic  Worship. 


The  reverence,  as  well  as  worship,  paid  to  the  phallus 
in  the  early  ages  had  nothing  in  it  which  partook  of  in- 
decency : all  ideas  connected  with  it  were  of  a reverential 
and  religious  kind.  When  Abraham,  as  mentioned  in 
Genesis,  in  asking  his  servant  to  take  a solemn  oath, 
makes  him  lay  his  hand  on  his  parts  of  generation  (in 
the  common  version,  “under  his  thigh”  #),  it  was  that  he 
required  as  a token  of  his  sincerity  his  placing  his  hand 
on  the  most  revered  part  of  his  body  ; as,  at  the  present 
day,  a man  would  place  his  hand  on  his  heart  in  order  to 
evince  his  sincerity.  Jacob,  when  dying,  makes  his  son 
Joseph  perform  the  same  act.  A similar  custom  is  still 
retained  among  the  Arabs  at  the  present  day.  An  Arab, 
in  taking  a solemn  oath,  will  place  his  hand  on  his  mem- 
brum  virile  in  attestation  of  his  sincerity. f 

The  indecent  ideas  attached  to  the  phallic  symbol  were, 
though  it  seems  a paradox  to  say  so,  the  result  of  a more 
advanced  civilization  verging  towards  its  decline,  as  we 
have  evidence  at  Rome  and  Pompeii.  £ 

We  may  here  introduce  an  extremely  just  and  apposite 
remark  of  Constant  in  his  work  on  Roman  polytheism  : 
“ Indecent  rites  may  be  practised  by  a religious  people 
with  the  greatest  purity  of  heart.  But  when  incredulity 
has  gained  a footing  among  these  peoples,  these  rites 
become  then  the  cause  and  pretext  of  the  most  revolting 
corruption.”  A similar  remark  has  been  made  by  Vol- 
taire. Speaking  of  the  worship  of  Priapus,  he  says,  “ Our 
ideas  of  propriety  lead  us  to  suppose  that  a ceremony 
which  appears  to  us  so  infamous  could  only  be  invented 
by  licentiousness  ; but  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that 

* The  thigh  had  a peculiar  sanctity.  It  was  the  part  burned  of  the  sacrifi- 
cial victim  as  of  a s-.veet  savor  to  the  Deity.  Bacchus,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  preserved  in  embryo  at  the  thigh  of  Jupiter;  and  Pythagoras,  in  his  in- 
itiations, displayed  a golden  thigh  as  the  last  mystery, 
f Memoir es  sur  PEgypte , partie  deuxieme,  p.  196. 

\ Secret  Museum  of  Naples ; Being  an  account  of  the  Erotic  Paintings, 
Bronzes,  and  Statues  contained  in  that  famous  “Cabinet  Secret.”  By 
Colonel  Fanin.  Now  first  translated  from  the  French.  With  sixty  illustra- 
tions. 4to,  London,  1871. 


ROUND  TOWER  OF  IRELAND.  OSIRIS  SWEARING  BY  HIS 


Phallic  Worship. 


31 


depravity  of  manners  would  ever  have  led  among  any 
people  to  the  establishment  of  religious  ceremonies.  It 
is  probable,  on  the  contrary,  that  this  custom  was  first 
introduced  in  times  of  simplicity,  that  the  first  thought 
was  to  honor  the  deity  in  the  symbol  of  life  which  it  has 
given  us.  Such  a ceremony  may  have  excited  licentious- 
ness among  youths,  and  have  appeared  ridiculous  to  men 
of  education  in  more  refined,  more  corrupt,  and  more 
enlightened  times.” 

Three  phases  in  the  representation  of  the  phallus 
should  be  distinguished  ; first,  when  it  was  the  object  of 
reverence  and  religious  worship  ; secondly,  when  it  was 
used  as  a protecting  power  against  evil  influences  of 
various  kinds,  and  as  a charm  or  amulet  against  envy  and 
the  evil  eye,  as  at  the  postern  gate  at  Alatri  and  at  Pom- 
peii, and  as  frequently  occurs  in  amulets  of  porcelain 
found  in  Egypt,  and  of  bronze  in  Italy  ; thirdly,  when  it 
was  the  result  of  mere  licentiousness  and  dissolute  morals. 
Another  cause  also  contributed  to  its  reverence  and  fre- 
quent representation — the  natural  desire  of  women  among 
all  races,  barbarous  as  well  as  civilized,  to  be  the  fruitful 
mother  of  children — especially  as,  among  some  people, 
women  were  esteemed  according  to  the  number  of  chil- 
dren they  bore,  and  as,  among  the  Mohammedans  of  the 
present  day,  it  is  sinful  not  to  contribute  to  the  popula- 
tion; as  a symbol,  therefore,  of  prolificacy,  and  as  the 
bestower  of  offspring,  the  phallus  became  an  object  of 
reverence  and  especial  worship  among  women.  At  Pom- 
peii was  found  a gold  ring,  with  the  representation  of  the 
phallus  on  its  bezel,  supposed  to  have  been  worn  by  a 
barren  woman.  To  propitiate  the  deity  and  to  obtain 
offspring,  offerings  of  this  symbol  were  made  in  Roman 
temples  by  women,  and  this  custom  has  been  retained  in 
modern  times  at  Isernia,  near  Naples.  Stone  offerings 
of  phalli  are  also  made  at  the  present  day  in  a Buddhist 
temple  in  Pekin,  and  for  the  same  object  Mohammedan 
women  kiss  with  reverence  the  organ  of  generation  of  an 
idiot  or  saint.  In  India  this  worship  has  found  its  most 


32 


Phallic  Worship. 


extensive  development.  There  young  girls  who  are 
anxious  for  husbands,  and  married  women  who  are  de- 
sirous of  progeny,  are  ardent  worshippers  of  Siva  ; and 
his  symbol,  the  lingam,  is  sometimes  exhibited  in  enor- 
mous proportions. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  St.  Foutin  in  the  south  of 
France,  St.  Ters  at  Antwerp,  and  in  the  last  century 
Saints  Cosmo  and  Damiano  at  Isernia,  near  Naples,  were 
worshipped  for  the  same  purpose  by  young  girls  and 
barren  women. 

Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  records  similar  superstitious 
practices  at  the  present  day  at  Ekhmim  in  Egypt.  The 
superstitions  of  the  natives  here  ascribed  the  same  proper- 
ties to  a stone  in  one  of  the  sheikh’s  tombs,  and  likewise 
to  that  of  the  temple  of  Fan,  which  the  statues  of  the  god 
of  generation,  the  patron  deity  of  Panopolis  (Ekhmim), 
were  formerly  believed  to  have  possessed  ; and  the 
modern  women  of  Ekhmim,  with  similar  hopes  and  equal 
credulity,  offer  their  vows  to  these  relics  for  a numerous 
progeny. 

We  may  conclude  with  the  following  passage  from 
Captain  Burton,  which  exhibits  similar  customs  among  a 
rude  and  barbarous  people  of  the  present  day  : “ Among 
all  barbarians  whose  primal  want  is  progeny,  we  observe 
a greater  or  less  development  of  the  phallic  worship.  In 
Dahome  it  is  uncomfortably  prominent.  Every  street 
from  Whydah  to  the  capital  is  adorned  with  the  symbol, 
and  the  old  ones  are  not  removed.  The  Dahoman  Pria- 
pus  is  a clay  figure,  of  any  size  between  a giant  and  the 
pigmy,  crouched  upon  the  ground,  as  if  contemplating 
its  own  attributes.  The  head  is  sometimes  a wooden 
block  rudely  carved,  more  often  dried  mud,  and  the  eyes 
and  teeth  are  supplied  by  cowries.  The  tree  of  life  is 
anointed  with  palm-oil,  which  drips  into  a pot  or  a shard 
placed  below  it,  and  the  would-be  mother  of  children 
prays  that  the  great  god  Legba  will  make  her  fertile.” 


INFLUENCE  OF  THE  PHALLIC  IDEA 


IN  THE 

RELIGIONS  OF  ANTIQUITY.* 

BY  C.  STANILAND  WAKE. 


It  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to  give  details  of  the 
rites  by  which  the  phallic  superstition  is  distinguished,  as 
they  may  be  found  in  the  works  of  Dulaure,f  Payne 
Knight,:}:  and  other  writers.  I shall  refer  to  them,  there- 
fore, only  so  far  as  may  be  required  for  the  due  under- 
standing of  the  subject  to  be  considered— -the  influence  of 
the  phallic  idea  in  the  religions  of  antiquity.  The  first 
step  in  the  inquiry  is  to  ascertain  the  origin  of  the  super- 
stition in  question.  Faber  ingeniously  referred  to  a 
primitive  universal  belief  in  a great  father,  the  curious 
connection  seen  to  exist  between  nearly  all  non- Christian 
mythologies,  and  he  saw  in  phallic  worship  a degradation 
of  this  belief.  Such  an  explanation  as  this  is,  however, 
not  satisfactory  ; since,  not  only  does  it  require  the  as- 
sumption of  a primitive  divine  revelation,  but  proof  is 
still  wanting  that  all  peoples  have,  or  ever  had,  any  such 
notion  of  a great  parent  of  mankind  as  that  supposed  to 
have  been  revealed.  And  yet  there  is  a valuable  germ  of 

* A paper  read  before  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  April  5 th, 
1870. 

f Histoire  Abrege  de  Differens  Cultes , vol.  ii. 

\ A Discourse  on  the  Worship  of  Priapus,  and  its  Connection  -with  the 
Mystic  Theology  of  the  Ancients.  By  Richard  Payne  Knight,  Esq.  New 
Edition.  To  which  is  added  An  Essay  on  the  Worship  of  the  Generative 
Powers  during  the  Middle  Ages  of  Western  Europe.  Illustrated  with  138 
Engravings.  4to,  London,  1869. 


34 


Phallism  in 


truth  in  this  hypothesis.  The  phallic  superstition  is 
founded  essentially  in  the  family  idea.  Captain  Richard 
Burton  recognized  this  truth  when  he  asserted  that 
“ amongst  all  barbarians  whose  primal  want  is  progeny, 
we  observe  a greater  or  less  development  of  the  phallic 
worship.”  * This  view,  however,  is  imperfect.  There 
must  have  been  something  more  than  a mere  desire  for 
progeny  to  lead  primitive  man  to  view  the  generative  pro- 
cess with  the  peculiar  feelings  embodied  in  this  supersti- 
tion. We  are,  in  fact,  here  taken  to  the  root  of  all  relig- 
ions— awe  at  the  mysterious  and  unknown.  That  which 
the  uncultured  mind  cannot  understand  is  viewed  with 
dread  or  veneration,  as  it  may  be,  and  the  object  present- 
ing the  mysterious  phenomenon  may  itself  be  worshipped 
as  a fetish,  or  the  residence  of  a presiding  spirit.  But  there 
is  nothing  more  mysterious  than  the  phenomena  of  gen- 
eration, and  nothing  more  important  than  the  final  result 
of  the  generative  act.  Reflection  on  this  result  would 
naturally  cause  that  which  led  to  it  to  be  invested  with  a 
certain  degree  of  superstitious  significance.  The  feeling 
generated  would  have  a double  object,  as  it  had  a double 
origin — wonder  at  the  phenomenon  itself  and  a perception 
of  the  value  of  its  consequences.  The  former,  which  is 
the  most  simple,  would  lead  to  a veneration  for  the  organs 
whose  operation  conduced  to  the  phenomena — hence  the 
superstitious  practices  connected  with  the  phallus  and  the 
yoni  among  primitive  peoples.  In  this,  moreover,  we 
have  the  explanation  of  numerous  curious  facts  observed 
among  eastern  peoples.  Such  is  the  respect  shown  by 
women  for  the  generative  organ  of  dervishes  and  fakirs. f 

* Memoirs  of  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  vol.  i,  p.  320. 

f The  Vanaprastha  were  Brahminical  anchorites,  who  inhabited  the  des- 
erts, lived  on  vegetables,  devoted  themselves  to  contemplation,  macerated 
the  body,  fought  with  devils  and  giants  (as  a natural  consequence),  and  were 
insensible  to  heat  and  cold.  They  were  called  later,  by  the  Greeks,  Gymnoso- 
phists  ; and  although  they  went  perfectly  naked,  no  throb  or  involuntary 
movement  was  ever  seen  in  any  part  of  their  bodies.  Women  who  were  bar- 
ren oftentimes  came  and  touched  their  shrivelled  member,  hoping  thereby 
to  become  fruitful.  Not  the  slightest  emotion  was  noticed  at  such  times. 


Ancient  Religions. 


35 


Such  also  is  the  Semitic  custom  referred  to  in  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures  as  “ the  putting  of  the  hand  under  the  thigh,” 
which  is  explained  by  the  Talmudists  to  be  the  touching 
of  that  part  of  the  body  which  is  sealed  and  made  holy  by 
circumcision  : a custom  which  was,  up  to  a recent  date,  still 
in  use  among  the  Arabs  as  the  most  solemn  guarantee  of 
truthfulness.* 

The  second  phase  of  the  phallic  superstition  is  that 
which  arises  from  a perception  of  the  value  of  the  conse- 
quences of  the  act  of  generation.  The  distinction  be- 
tween this  and  the  preceding  phase  is  that,  while  the  one 
has  relation  to  the  organs  engaged,  the  other  refers  more 
particularly  to  the  chief  agent.  Thus,  the  father  of  the 
family  is  venerated  as  the  generator  ; this  authority  is 
founded  altogether  on  the  act  and  consequences  of  gener- 
ation. We  thus  see  the  fundamental  importance,  as  well 
as  the  phallic  origin,  of  the  family  idea.  From  this  has 
sprung  the  social  organization  of  all  primitive  peoples. 

An  instance  in  point  may  be  derived  from  Mr.  Hunter’s 
account  of  the  Santals  of  Bengal.  He  says  that  the 
classification  of  this  interesting  people  among  themselves 
depends,  “ not  upon  social  rank  or  occupation,  but  upon 
the  family  basis.”  This  is  shown  by  the  character  of  the 
six  great  ceremonies  in  a Santal’s  life,  which  are  : “ ad- 
mission into  the  family  ; admission  into  the  tribe  ; admis- 
sion into  the  race  ; union  of  his  own  tribe  with  another 
by  marriage ; formal  dismission  from  the  living  race  by 
incremation  ; lastly,  a reunion  with  the  departed  fathers.  ” f 

We  may  judge  from  this  of  the  character  of  certain 
customs  which  are  widespread  among  primitive  peoples, 
and  the  phallic  origin  of  which  has  long  been  lost  sight 
of.  The  value  set  on  the  results  of  the  generative  act 

The  old  ascetics  would  have  regarded  with  contempt  the  practices  of  Chris- 
tian monks,  who  were  indeed  children  when  compared  with  their  Eastern  an- 
cestors.— The  Monks  before  Christ , by  John  Edgar  Johnson;  and  Descrip- 
tion of  the  Character , Planners  and  Customs  of  the  People  of  India,  by  Abbe 
J.  A.  Dubois. 

* See  Dulaure,  op.  cit.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  219. 

t Rural  Bengal,  p.  203. 


36 


Phallism  in 


would  naturally  make  the  arrival  at  the  age  of  puberty  an 
event  of  peculiar  significance.  Hence,  we  find  various  cere- 
monies performed  among  primitive,  and  even  among  civil- 
ized, peoples  at  this  period  of  life.  Often  when  the  youth 
arrives  at  manhood  other  rites  are  performed  to  mark  the 
significance  of  the  event. 

Marriage,  too,  derives  an  importance  from  its  conse- 
quences which  otherwise  it  would  not  possess.  Thus, 
among  many  peoples  it  is  attended  with  certain  cere- 
monies denoting  its  object,  or,  at  least,  marking  it  as  an 
event  of  peculiar  significance  in  the  life  of  the  individual, 
or  even  in  the  history  of  the  tribe.  The  marriage  cere- 
monial is  especially  fitted  for  the  use  of  phallic  rites 
or  symbolism  ; the  former,  among  semi-civilized  peoples, 
often  being  simply  the  act  of  consummation  itself,  which 
appears  to  be  looked  on  as  part  of  the  ceremony.  The 
symbolism  we  have  ourselves  retained  to  the  present  day 
in  the  wedding-ring,  which  must  have  had  a phallic  origin, 
if,  as  appears  probable,  it  originated  in  the  Samothracian 
mysteries.*  Nor  does  the  influence  of  the  phallic  idea 
end  with  life.  The  veneration  entertained  for  the  father 
of  the  family  as  the  “ generator,”  led  in  time  to  peculiar 
care  being  taken  of  the  bodies  of  the  dead  ; and,  finally, 
to  the  worship  of  ancestors,  which,  under  one  form  or 
another,  distinguished  all  the  civilized  nations  of  antiquity, 
as  it  does  even  now  most  of  the  peoples  of  the  heathen 
world. 


CIRCUMCISION. 

There  is  one  phallic  rite  which,  from  its  nature  and 
wide  range,  is  of  peculiar  importance.  I refer  to  circum- 
cision. The  origin  of  this  custom  has  not  yet,  so  far  as  I 
am  aware,  been  satisfactorily  explained.  The  idea  that, 
under  certain  climatic  conditions,  circumcision  is  neces- 
sary for  cleanliness  and  comfort,  does  not  appear  to  be 
well-founded,  as  the  custom  is  not  universal  even  within 
the  tropics.  Nor  is  the  reason  given  by  Captain  Richard 
* See  Ennemoser’s  History  of  Magic  (Bohn),  vol.  ii,  p.  33. 


Ancient  Religions.  37 

Burton,  in  his  “ Notes  connected  with  the  Dahoman,” 
for  both  circumcision  and  excision,  perfectly  satisfactory. 
The  real  origin  of  these  customs  has  been  forgotten  by  all 
peoples  practising  them  ; and,  therefore,  they  have  ceased 
to  have  their  primitive  significance.  That  circumcision, 
at  least,  had  a superstitious  origin  may  be  inferred  from 
the  traditional  history  of  the  Jews.  The  old  Hebrew 
writers,  persistent  in  their  idea  that  they  were  a peculiar 
people,  chosen  by  God  for  a special  purpose,  asserted 
that  this  rite  was  instituted  by  Jehovah  as  a sign  of  the 
covenant  between  Him  and  Abraham.  Although  we 
cannot  doubt  that  this  rite  was  practised  by  the  Egyp- 
tians and  Phoenicians  long  before  the  birth  of  Abraham,* 
yet  two  points  connected  with  the  Hebrew  tradition  are 
noticeable.  These  are,  the  religious  significance  of  the 
act  of  circumcision — it  is  the  sign  of  a covenant  between 
God  and  man — and  its  performance  by  the  head  of  the 
family.  These  two  things  are,  indeed,  intimately  con- 
nected ; since,  in  the  patriarchal  age,  the  father  was 
always  the  priest  of  the  family  and  the  offerer  of  the 
sacrifices.  VVe  have  it,  on  the  authority  of  the  Veda,  that 
this  was  the  case  also  among  the  primitive  Aryan  people. f 
Abraham,  therefore,  as  the  father  and  priest  of  the  family, 
performed  the  religious  ceremony  of  circumcision  on  the 
males  of  his  household. 

Circumcision,  in  its  inception,  is  a purely  phallic  rite, 
having  for  its  aim  the  marking  of  that  which  from  its 
associations  is  viewed  with  peculiar  veneration,  and  it 
connects  the  two  phases  of  this  superstition  which  have 
for  their  object  respectively  the  instrument  of  generation 
and  the  agent.  We  are  thus  brought  back  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  simplest  form  of  phallic  worship,  that 

* Herodotus,  Euterpe,  § 104.  It  was  a practice  at  least  2,400  years 
before  our  era,  and  is  even  then  an  ancient  custom.  Nevertheless  it  appears 
to  have  been  found  only  among  nations  cognate  with  the  Egyptians  and 
the  Phoenicians.  The  neglect  of  it  by  Moses  and  by  the  Israelites  whom  he 
conducted  to  the  border  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  is  a strong  presumption 
against  its  previous  employment  by  the  patriarchs. — Ed. 

\ See  Bunsen’s  God  in  History,  vol.  I,  p.  299. 


38 


Phallism  in 


which  has  reference  to  the  generative  organs  viewed  as  the 
mysterious  instruments  in  the  realization  of  that  keen  de- 
sire for  children  which  distinguishes  all  primitive  peoples. 
This  feeling  is  so  nearly  universal  that  it  is  a matter  of 
surprise  to  find  the  act  by  which  it  is  expressed  signalized 
as  sinful.  Yet  such  is  the  case,  although  the  incidents  in 
which  the  fact  is  embodied  are  so  veiled  in  figure  that 
their  true  meaning  has  long  been  forgotten.  Clemens 
Alexandrinus  tells  us  that  “ the  Bacchanals  hold  their 
orgies  in  honor  of  the  frenzied  Bacchus,  celebrating  their 
sacred  frenzy  by  the  eating  of  raw  flesh,  and  go  through 
the  distribution  of  the  parts  of  butchered  victims,  crowned 
with  snakes,  shrieking  out  the  name  of  that  Eve,  by 
whom  error  came  into  the  world.”  He  adds  that  “ the 
symbol  of  the  Bacchic  orgies  is  a consecrated  serpent,” 
and  that  according  to  the  strict  interpretation  of  the 
Hebrew  term,  the  name  Hevia,  aspirated,  signifies  a 
female  serpent .*  We  have  here  a reference  to  the  sup- 
posed fall  of  man  from  pristine  “ innocence,”  Eve  and 
the  serpent  being  very  significantly  introduced  in  close 
conjunction,  and  indeed  becoming  in  some  sense  identi- 
fied with  each  other.  In  fact  the  Arabic  word  for  serpent, 
hayyat,  may  be  said  also  to  mean  “ life,”  and  in  this  sense 
the  legendary  first  human  mother  is  called  Eve  or  Chev- 
vah,  in  Arabic  Hawwa.  In  its  relations,  as  an  asserted 
fact,  the  question  of  the  fall  has  an  important  bearing  on 
the  subject  before  us.  Quite  irrespective  of  the  impossi- 
bility of  accepting  the  Mosaic  cosmogony  as  a divinely 
inspired  account  of  the  origin  of  the  world  and  man — a 
cosmogony  which,  with  those  of  all  other  Semitic  peoples, 
has  a purely  “phallic”  basis  + — the  whole  transaction 
said  to  have  taken  place  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  is  fraught 
with  difficulties  on  the  received  interpretation.  The  very 
idea  on  which  it  is  founded — the  placing  by  God,  in  the 
way  of  Eve,  of  a temptation  which  He  knew  she  could 

* Ante-Nicene  Christian  Library,  vol.  IV.  (Clement  of  Alexandria),  p.  27. 

\ The  Hebrew  word  bara , translated  “created,”  has  also  the  sense  of 
“begotten.”  See  Gesenius. 


SERPENT-SYMBOLS  FOUND  IN  PERSIA,  CHINA,  AND  EGYPT. 


~1 


1.  TIRE  ON  THE  ALTAR  AND  SER- 

PENTS REPRESENTING  THE 
TRIAD. 

2.  THE  TRIAD  REPRESENTED  BY  A 

HUMAN  FIGURE  AND  SER- 
PENTS. 

3.  THE  TRIAD  REPRESENTED  BY 

A HUMAN  FIGURE,  A CONCHA 
AND  SERPENT. 

4.  THE  TRIAD  REPRESENTED  BY 


THE  SERPENT,  THE  CONCHA, 
AND  MATERNAL  SYMBOL. 

5.  THE  MITHIAIC  FIGURE  OF  AZON, 

A HUMAN  FIGURE  ENCIRCLED 
WITH  A ZONE  COMPOUND  OF 
A SERPENT. 

6.  THE  TREE  OF  WISDOM  ENCIR- 

CLED BY  THE  SERPENT,  SYM- 
BOLIZING THE  MALE  AND  FE- 
MALE CREATIVE  PRINCIPLES. 


Ancient  Religions. 


39 


not  resist — is  sufficient  to  throw  discredit  on  the  ordinary- 
reading  of  the  narrative.  The  effect,  indeed,  that  was  to 
follow  the  eating  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  appears  to  an 
ordinary  mind  to  furnish  the  most  praiseworthy  motive 
for  not  obeying  the  command  to  abstain.  That  “ eating 
of  the  forbidden  fruit  ” was  simply  a figurative  mode  of 
expressing  the  performance  of  the  act  necessary  to  the 
perpetuation  of  the  human  race — an  act  which  in  its  ori- 
gin was  thought  to  be  the  source  of  all  evil — is  evident 
from  the  consequences  which  followed,  and  from  the  curse 
it  entailed.*  As  to  the  curse  inflicted  on  Eve,  it  has  always 
been  a stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  commentators.  For, 
what  connection  is  there  between  the  eating  of  a fruit  and 
sorrow  in  bringing  forth  children  ? The  meaning  is  evi- 
dent, however,  when  we  know  that  conception  and  child- 
bearing were  the  direct  consequences  of  the  act  forbidden. 
How  far  this  meaning  was  intended  by  the  compiler  of 
the  Mosaic  books  we  shall  see  further  on. 

SERPENT  SYMBOLISM  ASSOCIATED  WITH  PHALLIC  WOR- 
SHIP. 

That  we  have,  in  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  “ fall,”  a 
phallic  legend,  is  evident  from  other  considerations  con- 
nected with  the  narrative.  The  most  important  relate  to 
the  introduction  of  the  serpent  on  the  scene,  and  the  posi- 
tion it  takes  as  the  inciting  cause  of  the  sinful  act.  We 
are  here  reminded  of  the  passage  already  quoted  from 
Clemens  Alexandrinus,  who  tells  us  that  the  serpent  was 
the  special  symbol  of  the  worship  of  Bacchus.  Now,  this 
animal  holds  a very  curious  place  in  the  religions  of  the 
civilized  peoples  of  antiquity.  Although,  in  consequence 
of  the  influence  of  later  thought,  it  came  to  be  treated  as 
the  personification  of  evil,  and  as  such  appears  in  the 
Hebrew  legend  of  the  fall,  yet  before  this  the  serpent  was 
the  symbol  of  wisdom  and  healing.  In  the  latter  capa- 
city it  appears  even  in  connection  with  the  exodus  from 
Egypt.  It  is,  however,  in  its  character  as  a symbol  of 

* See  Jashar , by  Dr.  Donaldson,  2d  edition  (i860),  p.  45  et  seq. 


40 


Phallism  in 


wisdom  that  it  more  especially  claims  our  attention,  al- 
though these  ideas  are  intimately  connected — the  power 
of  healing  being  merely  a phase  of  wisdom.  From  the 
earliest  times  of  which  we  have  any  historical  notice,  the 
serpent  has  been  connected  with  the  gods  of  wisdom. 
This  animal  was  the  especial  symbol  of  TJioth  or  Taaut, 
a primeval  deity  of  Syro-Egyptian  mythology,*  and  of 
all  those  gods,  such  as  Hermes  and  Seth,  who  can  be  con- 
nected with  him.  This  is  true  also  of  the  third  member 
of  the  primitive  Chaldean  triad,  Hea  or  Hoa.  According 
to  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson,  the  most  important  titles  of  this 
deity  refer  “ to  his  functions  as  the  source  of  all  know- 
ledge and  science.”  Not  only  is  he  “the  intelligent  fish,” 
but  his  name  may  be  read  as  signifying  both  “ life  ” and 
a “ serpent,”  and  he  maybe  considered  as  “ figured  by 
the  great  serpent  which  occupies  so  conspicuous  a place 
among  the  symbols  of  the  gods  on  the  black  stones  re- 
cording Babylonian  benefactions.”  f The  serpent  was 
also  the  symbol  of  the  Egyptian  Kneph , who  resembled 
the  Sophia  of  the  Gnostics,  the  Divine  Wisdom.  This 
animal,  moreover,  was  the  Agathodcemon  of  the  religions  of 
antiquity — the  giver  of  happiness  and  good  fortune.^;  It 
was  in  these  capacities,  rather  than  as  having  a phallic 
significance,  that  the  serpent  was  associated  with  the  sun- 
gods,  the  Chaldean  Bel , the  Grecian  Apollo,  and  the 
Semitic  Seth. 

But  whence  originated  the  idea  of  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent  which  led  to  its  connection  with  the  legend  of  the 
“ fall  ” ? This  may,  perhaps,  be  explained  by  other  facts 
which  show  also  the  nature  of  the  wisdom  here  intended. 
Thus,  in  the  annals  of  the  Mexicans,  the  first  woman, 
whose  name  was  translated  by  the  old  Spanish  writers 

* Bunsen’ s Egypt,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  225,  255,  288. 

f History  of  Herodotus,  vol.  i.,  p.  600. 

\ Wilkinson’s  Ancient  Egyptians,  vol.  iv. , pp.  412,  413  ; and  King’s  Gnos- 
tics, p.  31.  See  also  Bryant’s  Ancient  Mythology,  vol.  iv.,  p.  201.  The  last 
named  work  contains  much  curious  information  as  to  the  extension  of  ser- 
pent-worship. 


Ancient  Religions. 


41 


“ the  ivoman  of  our  flesh,"  is  always  represented  as  ac- 
companied by  a great  male  serpent.  This  serpent  is  the 
Sun-god  Tonacatl-coatl , the  principal  deity  of  the  Mexi- 
can pantheon  ; and  the  goddess-mother  of  primitive  man 
is  called  Cihua-Cohuatl,  which  signifies  woman  of  the  ser- 
pent .*  According  to  this  legend,  which  agrees  with  that 
of  other  American  tribes,  a serpent  must  have  been  the 
father  of  the  human  race.  This  notion  can  be  explained 
only  on  the  supposition  that  the  serpent  was  thought  to 
have  had  at  one  time  a human  form.  In  the  Hebrew 
legend  the  tempter  speaks  ; and  “ the  old  serpent  having 
two  feet,”  of  Persian  mythology,  is  none  other  than  the 
evil  spirit  Ahriman  himself. f The  fact  is  that  the  ser- 
pent was  only  a symbol,  or  at  most  an  embodiment,  of 
the  spirit  which  it  represented,  as  we  see  from  the  belief 
of  certain  African  and  American  tribes,  which  probably 
preserves  the  primitive  form  of  this  supposition.  Serpents 
are  looked  upon  by  these  peoples  as  embodiments  of  their 
departed  ancestors,  \ and  an  analogous  notion  is  enter- 
tained by  various  Hindu  tribes.  No  doubt  the  noiseless 
movement  and  the  activity  of  the  serpent,  combined  with 
its  peculiar  gaze  and  marvellous  power  of  fascination,  led 
to  its  being  viewed  as  a spirit-embodiment,  and  hence 
also  as  the  possessor  of  wisdom. § In  the  spirit-character 
ascribed  to  the  serpent,  we  have  the  explanation  of  the 
association  of  its  worship  with  human  sacrifice  noted  by 
Mr.  Fergusson — this  sacrifice  being  really  connected  with 
the  worship  of  ancestors. 

It  is  evident,  moreover,  that  we  may  find  here  the  ori- 

See  The  Serpent  Synnbol  in  America,  by  E.  G.  Squier,  M.A.  (American 
Archaeological  Researches,  No.  i,  1851),  p.  161  et  seq.  ; Palenqu'e,  by  M. 
de  Waldeck  and  M.  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg  (1866),  ,p.  48. 

f I.ajard,  Mbnoires  de  /’ Institut  Royal  de  France  (Acad,  des  Inscriptions 
et  Belles-Lettres),  t.  xiv.,  p.  89. 

\ Wood’s  Natural  History  of  Man,  vol.  i.,  p.  185  ; also  Squier’s  Serpent 
Symbol,  p.  222  et  seq. 

§ I have  a strong  suspicion  that,  in  its  primitive  shape,  the  Hebrew  le- 
gend, as  that  of  the  Mexicans,  gave  the  serpent-form  to  both  the  father  and 
the  mother  of  the  human  race. 

3 


42 


Phallism  in 


gin  of  the  idea  of  evil  sometimes  associated  with  the  ser- 
pent-god. The  Kafir  and  the  Hindu,  although  he  treats 
with  respect  any  serpent  which  may  visit  his  dwelling,  yet 
entertains  a suspicion  of  his  visitant.  It  may,  perhaps, 
be  the  embodiment  of  an  evil  spirit,  or  for  some  reason  or 
other  it  may  desire  to  injure  him.  Mr.  Fergusson  states 
that  “ the  chief  characteristic  of  the  serpents  throughout 
the  east  in  all  ages  seems  to  have  been  their  power  over 
the  wind  and  rain,”  which  they  gave  or  withheld  accord- 
ing to  their  good  or  ill-will  towards  man.* * * §  This  notion 
is  curiously  confirmed  by  the  title  given  by  the  Egyptians 
to  the  Semitic  god  Seti  {Seth)-  Typhon,  which  was  the 
name  of  the  Phoenician  evil  principle,  and  also  of  a destruc- 
tive wind,  thus  having  a curious  analogy  with  the  “ ty- 
phoon ” of  the  Chinese  seas.f  When  the  notion  of  a 
duality  in  nature  was  developed,  there  would  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  applying  it  to  the  symbols  or  embodiments  by 
which  the  idea  of  wisdom  was  represented  in  the  animal 
world.  Thus,  there  came  to  be,  not  only  good,  but  also 
bad,  serpents,  both  of  which  are  referred  to  in  the  narra- 
tive of  the  Hebrew  exodus,  but  still  more  clearly  in  the 
struggle  between  the  good  and  the  bad  serpents  of  Per- 
sian mythology,  which  symbolized  Ormuzd,  or  Mithra, 
and  the  evil  spirit  Ahriman.j;  So  far  as  I can  discover, 
the  serpent-symbol  has  not  a direct  phallic  reference^ 
nor,  after  all,  is  its  attribute  of  wisdom  the  most  essential. 
The  idea  most  intimately  associated  with  this  animal  was 
life,  not  present,  but  future,  and  ultimately,  no  doubt, 
eternal \ Thus  the  snake  Bai  was  figured  as  guardian 

* Tree  and  Serpent  Worship , p.  46.  Rudra,  the  Vedic  form  of  Siva,  the 
“ King  of  Serpents,”  is  called  the  father  of  the  maruts  (winds).  See  infra 
as  to  identification  nf  Siva  with  Saturn. 

•)•  The  idea  of  circularity  appears  to  be  associated  with  both  these  names. 
See  Bryant,  op.  at.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  164,  and  vol.  ii .,  p.  191,  as  to  derivation  of 
“ Typhon.” 

\ Lajard,  loc.cit.,  p.  182.  See  also  Culte  de  Mithra,  p.  35. 

§ In  the  Bacchanalia  the  serpent’s  head  is  seen  at  the  open  lid  of  the  box. 
See  Dom.  Martin’s  “ Explication,"  etc.,  pi.  11.,  p.  29. 

I)  “ Wise  (ppovi/iot  ( phronimoi ) as  serpents,  and  harmless  (or  pure)  as  doves." 


Ancient  Religions. 


43 


of  the  doorways  of  those  chambers  of  Egyptian  tombs 
which  represented  the  mansions  of  heaven.*  A sacred 
serpent  appears  to  have  been  kept  in  all  the  Egyptian 
temples,  and  we  are  told  that  “ many  of  the  subjects,  in 
the  tombs  of  the  kings  at  Thebes  in  particular,  show  the 
importance  it  was  thought  to  enjoy  in  a future  state.”  f 
The  use  of  crowns  formed  of  the  asp,  or  sacred  Thermu- 
this,  given  to  sovereigns,  and  divinities,  particularly  to 
Isis4  the  goddess  of  life  and  healing,  was,  doubtless,  in- 
tended to  symbolize  eternal  life.  This  notion  is  quite  con- 
sistent with  the  ideas  entertained  by  the  Phoenicians  as  to 
the  serpent,  which  they  supposed  to  have  the  quality  “ of 
putting  off  its  old  age,  and  assuming  a second  youth.”  § 


THE  TREE  OF  KNOWLEDGE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

Another  feature  of  the  Mosaic  legend  of  the  “fall” 
which  deserves  consideration  is  the  reference  to  the  tree 
of  knowledge,  or  wisdom.  It  is  now  generally  supposed 
that  the  forbidden  fruit  was  a kind  of  citrus , ||  but  certain 
facts  connected  with  arborolatry  seem  to  me  to  disprove 
this  opinion.  Among  peoples  in  the  most  opposite  re- 
gions various  species  of  the  fig-tree  are  held  sacred.  Thus 
it  is,  throughout  nearly  the  whole  of  Africa,  with  the 
banyan  ( Ficus  indicus),  the  sacred  tree  of  the  Hindu  Brah- 
mins. Even  in  several  of  the  Polynesian  islands,  as  in 
various  parts  of  the  Indian  Archipelago  and  in  Northern 
Australia,  the  fig-tree  is  highly  venerated.  In  ancient 
Egypt,  the  banyan,  or  the  Ficus  sycamorus , was  always 
considered  sacred. So  it  was  in  Greece  and  Italy.  Ac- 

— Matthew  x.  16.  By  serpents  the  masculine  and  by  doves  the  feminine  at- 
tribute are  represented. 

* See  Memoires  de  V Institut  (Academie  des  Inscriptions),  tom.  xvii.,  p.  97. 

f Wilkinson’s  Ancient  Egyptians , vol.  v.,  p.  65. 

X Do-,  P-  243- 

§ Sanchoniathon  (translated  by  Cory),  in  The  Phoenix , p.  197. 

| Smith’s  Dictio7iary  of  the  Bible.  Art.,  “Apple-Tree.” 

If  Wilkinson,  op.  cit.,  vol.'iv.,  pp.  260,  313. 


44 


Phallism  in 


cording  to  Plutarch,  a basket  of  figs  formed  one  of  the 
chief  objects  carried  in  the  procession  in  honor  of  Bac- 
chus ; and  the  sacred  phallus  itself  appears  to  have  been 
made  of  the  wood  of  the  fig-tree,  as  was  also  the  statue 
of  the  phallic  god  Priapus.* 

Judging  from  these  facts,  and  considering  that  the 
sycamore  was  sacred  among  the  Hebrews  themselves — 
its  fruit  having  the  significance  of  the  virgin  womb  f — 
there  can  be  little  difficulty  in  identifying  the  fig-tree, 
whether  the  sycamore  or  the  banyan,  with  the  tree  of 
knowledge  planted  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  of  Eden. 
The  sense  intended  to  be  conveyed  by  this  expression 
would  be  evident  enough  without  the  introduction  of  the 
“tree  of  life.”  That  this  is  intended  to  represent  the 
male  element  is  undoubted.  The  Chaldean  god  Hea, 
who  was  symbolized  by  the  serpent,  was  also  the  god  of 
life  and  knowledge;  and  Rawlinson  states  that  “there 
are  very  strong  grounds  indeed  for  connecting  him  with 
the  serpent  of  scripture,  and  with  the  Paradisiacal  tradi- 
tions of  the  tree  of  knowledge  and  the  tree  of  life. 
The  bo-tree  ( Ficus  religiosa)  of  the  Buddhists  is  said  to 
derive  greater  sacredness  from  its  encircling  the  palm — - 
the  Palmyra  palm  being  the  kalpa- tree,  or  the  “tree  of 
life”  of  the  Hindu  paradise. § This  connection  is  termed 
by  the  Buddhists  “ the  bo-tree  united  in  marriage  with 
the  palm,”  and  we  have  in  it  the  perfect  idea  of  genera- 
tive activity,  the  combination  of  the  male  and  female 
elements.  Mr.  Fergusson,  in  accordance  with  his  special 
theory  as  to  the  origin  of  serpent-worship,  thinks  that 
this  superstition  characterized  the  old  Turanian  (by  which 
probably  he  means  Hamitic)  empire  of  Chaldea,  while 

* Horace,  8tli  Satire.  See  also  Ante-Nicene  Library,  vol.  iv.,  Clement  of 
Alexandria , p.  41. 

f See  Inman’s  Ancient  Faiths  Embodied  in  Ancient  Names,  vol.  i.,  p.  108. 
This  seems  to  have  been  the  symbolical  signification  of  the  fig  throughout  the 
East  from  the  earliest  historical  period ; as  the  pomegranate  symbolized  the 
full  womb. 

J History  of  Herodotus,  Book  i.,  Appendix,  Essay  10,  § iv. 

§ Tennent’s  Ceylon,  vol.  ii. , p.  520. 


45 


Ancient  Religions. 

tree-worship  was  more  characteristic  of  the  later  Assy- 
rian empire.* * * §  This  opinion  is,  no  doubt,  correct  ; and  it 
means  really  that  the  older  race  had  that  form  of  faith 
with  which  the  serpent  was  always  indirectly  connected — 
adoration  of  the  male  principle  of  generation,  the  primi- 
tive phase  of  which  was  probably  ancestor-worship  ; while 
the  latter  race  adored  the  female  principle,  symbolized  by 
the  sacred  tree,  the  Assyrian  “grove.”  The  “ tree  of  life,” 
however,  undoubtedly  had  reference  to  the  male  element, 
and  we  may  well  suppose  that  originally  the  fruit  alone 
was  treated  as  symbolical  of  the  opposite  principle,  f 

There  is  still  an  important  point  connected  with  the 
Hebrew  legend  which  requires  consideration — the  nature 
of  the  protecting  kcrub.  That  this  was  merely  intended 
as  a symbol  of  the  deity  himself,  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe,  and  that  the  symbol  was  nothing  more  than  the 
sacred  bull  of  antiquity,  is  evident  from  the  description 
of  the  kerub  given  by  Ezekiel  (chaps,  i.  and  x.)4  But 
what  was  the  religious  significance  of  the  bull,  an  animal 
which  it  would  be  easy  to  prove  was  venerated  by  nearly 
all  the  peoples  of  antiquity  ? It  is  now  well  known  that 
the  bull  symbolized  the  productive  force  in  nature,  and 
hence  it  was  associated  with  the  sun-gods.  The  symbolic 
figure  carried  in  procession  during  the  festival  of  Osiris 
and  Isis  was  representative,  probably,  of  the  phallus  of 
this  animal. § According  to  the  cosmogony  of  the  Zend- 
Avesta,  Ormuzd,  after  he  had  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  formed  the  first  being,  called  by  Zoroaster 
“the  primeval  bull.”  This  bull  was  poisoned  by  Ahri- 
man  ; but  its  seed  was  carried,  by  the  soul  of  the  dying 
animal,  represented  as  an  ized,  to  the  moon,  “ where  it  is 
continually  purified  and  fecundated  by  the  warmth  and 
light  of  the  sun,  to  become  the  germ  of  all  creatures.” 

* Op.  cit.,  p.  12. 

f As  to  the  sacred  Indian  fig-tree,  see  Ginguiaut’s  Religious ■ de  l'  Antiquite , 
vol.  i.,  p.  149,  note. 

% Faber’s  Pagan  Idolatry,  vol.  i.,  p.  422  ; vol.  iii.,  p.  606. 

§ See  Dulaure,  op.  cit. , vol.  ii. , p.  32. 


46 


Phallism  in 


At  the  same  time,  the  material  prototypes  of  all  living 
things,  including  man  himself,  issued  from  the  body  of 
the  bull.*  This  is  but  a developed  form  of  the  ideas 
which  anciently  were  almost  universally  associated  with 
this  animal  among  those  peoples  who  were  addicted  to 
sun-worship.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  the 
superstitious  veneration  for  the  bull  existed,  as  it  still  ex- 
ists, quite  independently  of  the  worship  of  the  heavenly 
bodies. f The  bull,  like  the  goat,  must  have  been  a 
sacred  animal  in  Egypt  before  it  was  declared  to  be  an 
embodiment  of  the  sun-god  Osiris.  In  some  sense,  in- 
deed, the  bull  and  the  serpent,  although  both  of  them 
became  associated  with  the  solar  deities,  were  antago- 
nistic. The  serpent  was  symbolical  of  the  personal  male 
element,  or  rather  had  especial  reference  to  the  life  of 
man,  \ while  the  bull  had  relation  to  nature  as  a whole, 
and  was  symbolical  of  the  general  idea  of  fecundity. 
This  antagonism  was  brought  to  an  issue  in  the  struggle 
between  Osiris  and  Seti  (Seth),  which  ended  in  the  tri- 
umph of  the  god  of  nature,  although  it  was  renewed  even 
during  the  exodus,  when  the  golden  calf  of  Osiris,  or 
Horus,  was  set  up  in  the  Hebrew  camp. 

The  references  made  to  the  serpent,  to  the  tree  of  wis- 
dom, and  to  the  bull  in  the  legend  of  the  “ fall,”  sufficiently 
prove  its  phallic  character  ; which  was,  indeed,  recognized 
in  the  early  Christian  church. § This  view  is  confirmed, 
moreover,  by  analogous  legends  in  other  mythologies. 
The  Hindu  legend  approaches  very  nearly  to  that  pre- 
served in  the  Hebrew  scriptures.  Thus,  it  is  said  that 
Siva,  as  the  Supreme  Being,  desired  to  tempt  Brahma 
(who  had  taken  human  form),  and  for  this  object  he  drop- 
ped from  heaven  a blossom  of  the  sacred  fig-tree.  Brah- 

* Lajard,  Le  Culte  de  Mithra,  p.  50. 

j-  This  superstition  is  found  among  peoples — -the  Kafirs,  for  instance — who 
do  not  appear  to  possess  any  trace  of  planetary  worship. 

£ This  is  evident  from  the  facts  mentioned  above,  notwithstanding  the 
use  of  this  animal  as  a symbol  of  ivisdom. 

§ In  connection  with  this  subject,  see  St.  Jerome,  in  his  letter  on  Virgini- 
ty to  Eustochia. 


Ancient  Religions. 


47 


md,  instigated  by  his  wife,  Satarupa,  endeavors  to  obtain 
this  blossom,  thinking  its  possession  will  render  him  im- 
mortal and  divine  ; but  when  he  has  succeeded  in  doing 
so,  he  is  cursed  by  Siva,  and  doomed  to  misery  and  deg- 
radation. Mr.  Hardwicke,  when  commenting  on  this  tra- 
dition, adds  that  the  sacred  Indian  fig  is  endowed  by  the 
Brahmans  and  Buddhists  with  mysterious  significance,  as 
the  tree  of  knowledge  or  intelligence.*  This  legend  con- 
firms what  I have  said  as  to  the  nature  of  the  Hebrew 
tree  of  knowledge,  and  also  the  phallic  explanation  of  the 
“ fall  ” itself,  when  we  consider  the  attributes  of  the  temp- 
ter of  the  Hindu  story.  The  Persian  legend  preserved  in 
the  Boun-dehesch  is,  however,  still  more  conclusive.  Ac- 
cording to  this  legend  Meschia  and  Meschiane , the  first 
man  and  woman,  were  seduced  by  Ahriman,  under  the  form 
of  a serpent,  and  they  then  first  committed  “ in  thought, 
word,  and  action,  the  carnal  sin,  and  thus  tainted  with 
original  sin  all  their  descendants.”  f 

SOURCE  OF  THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  “FALL  OF  MAN.” 

Under  the  circumstances  I have  detailed,  we  can  hard- 
ly doubt  that  the  legend  of  the  “ fall  ” has  been  derived 
from  a foreign  source.  That  it  could  not  be  original  to 
the  Hebrews  may,  I think,  be  proved  by  several  consid- 
erations. The  position  occupied  in  the  legend  by  the  ser- 
pent is  quite  inconsistent  with  the  use  of  this  animal  sym- 
bol by  Moses. ^ Like  Satan  himself  even,  as  the  Rev. 
Dunbar  Heath  has  shown, § the  serpent  had  not,  indeed, 
a wholly  evil  character  among  the  early  Hebrews.  In  the 
second  place,  the  condemnation  of  the  act  of  generation 

* Christ  and  other  blasters,  vol.  i. , p.  305. 

I Lajard,  op.  cit.,  pp.  52-60.  The  destruction  of  purity  in  the  world  by 
the  Serpent  Dahaka  is  stated  in  the  gth  Yacna,  v.  27.  We  have  probably 
here  the  germ  of  the  fuller  legend,  which  may,  however,  have  been  contained 
in  the  lost  portion  of  the  Zend-Avesta. 

\ The  turning  of  Aaron’s  rod  into  a serpent  had,  no  doubt,  a reference  to 
the  idea  of  wisdom  associated  with  that  animal. 

§ The  Fallen  Angels,  1857. 


48 


P hall  ism  in 


was  directly  contrary  to  the  central  idea  of  patriarchal 
history.  The  promise  to  Abraham  was  that  he  should 
have  seed  “numerous  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude  ; ” 
and  to  support  this  notion,  the  descent  of  Abraham  is 
traced  up  to  the  first  created  man,  who  is  commanded  to 
increase  and  multiply. 

It  is  very  probable,  however,  that  when  the  legend  was 
appropriated  by  the  compiler  of  the  Hebrew  scriptures  it 
had  a moral  significance  as  well  as  a merely  figurative 
sense.  The  legend  is  divisible  into  two  parts — the  first  of 
which  is  a mere  statement  of  the  imparting  of  wisdom  by 
the  serpent  and  by  the  eating  of  the  fruit  of  a certain  tree, 
these  ideas  being  synonymous,  or,  at  least,  consistent,  as 
appears  by  the  attributes  of  the  Chaldean  Heap  The 
nature  of  this  wisdom  may  be  found  in  the  rites  of  the 
Hindu  Sacti  Puja. f The  second  part  of  the  legend,  which 
is  probably  of  much  later  date,  is  the  condemnation  of  the 
act  referred  to,  as  being  in  itself  evil,  and  as  leading  to 
misery  and  even  to  death  itself.  The  origin  of  this  latter 
notion  must  be  sought  in  the  esoteric  doctrine  taught  in 
the  mysteries  of  Mithra,  the  fundamental  ideas  of  which 
were  the  descent  of  the  soul  to  earth  and  its  re-ascent  to 
the  celestial  abodes  after  it  had  overcome  the  temptations 
and  debasing  influences  of  the  material  life.  ^ Lajard 
shows  that  these  mysteries  were  really  taken  from  the  se- 
cret worship  of  the  Chaldean  Mylitta  ; but  the  reference 
to  “ the  seed  of  the  woman  who  shall  bruise  the  serpent’s 
head,”  is  too  Mithraic  for  us  to  seek  for  an  earlier  origin 
for  the  special  form  taken  by  the  Hebrew  myth.  The  ob- 
ject of  the  myth  evidently  was  to  explain  the  origin  of 
death , § from  which  man  was  to  be  delivered  by  a coming 
Saviour,  and  the  whole  idea  is  strictly  Mithraic,  the  Per- 

* See  supra. 

f Memoirs  of  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  vol.  ii.,  p.  264,  et 
seq.  ; and  compare  with  the  Gnostic  personification  of  “ truth”  ; for  which 
see  King’s  Gnosticsand  their  Remains , p.  39. 

\ Lajard,  op.  cit.,  p.  96. 

§ Jehovah  threatens  death,  but  the  Serpent  impliedly  promises  life,  the 
former  having  relation  to  the  individual , the  latter  to  the  race. 


Ancient  Religions. 


49 


sian  deity  himself  being  a Saviour-God. 'x'  The  impor- 
tance attached  to  virginity  by  the  early  Christians  sprang 
from  the  same  source.  The  Avesta  is  full  of  references  to 
“ purity”  of  life  ; and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that,  in 
the  secret  initiations,  the  followers  of  Mithra  were  taught 
to  regard  marriage  itself  as  impure. f 

The  religious  ideas  which  found  expression  in  the  le- 
gend of  the  fall  were  undoubtedly  of  late  development,^; 
although  derived  from  still  earlier  phases  of  religious 
thought.  The  simple  worship  in  symbol  of  the  organs  of 
generation,  and  of  the  ancestral  head  of  the  family, 
prompted  by  the  desire  for  offspring  and  the  veneration 
for  him  who  produced  it,  was  extended  to  the  generative 
force  in  nature.  The  bull,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  sym- 
bolized this  force,  was  not  restricted  to  earth,  but  was  in 
course  of  time  transferred  to  the  heavens,  and,  as  one 
of  the  zodiacal  signs,  was  thought  to  have  a peculiar  rela- 
tion to  certain  of  the  planetary  bodies.  This  astral  phase 
of  the  phallic  superstition  was  not  unknown  to  the  Mosaic 
religion,  A still  earlier  form  of  this  superstition  was, 
however,  known  to  the  Hebrews,  probably  forming  a 
link  between  the  worship  of  the  symbol  of  personal  gener- 
ative power  and  that  of  the  heavenly  phallus  ; as  the  wor- 
ship of  the  bull  connected  the  veneration  for  the  human 
generator  with  that  for  the  universal  father. 

HERM^E,  TERMINI,  PILLARS  AND  “GROVES.” 

One  of  the  primeval  gods  of  antiquity  was  Hermes , the 
Syro-Egyptian  Thoth , and  the  Roman  Mercury.  Kir- 
cher  identifies  him  also  with  the  god  Terminus.  This  is 
doubtless  true,  as  Hermes  was  a god  of  boundaries,  and 
appears,  as  Dulaure  has  well  shown,  to  have  presided  over 

* Lajard,  op.  cit .,  p.  60,  note. 

f Several  of  the  Essenes,  who  appear  to  have  had  some  connection  with 
Mithraism,  taught  this  doctrine. 

\ It  is  well  known  to  biblical  critics  that  this  legend  formed  no  part  of  the 
earlier  Mosaic  narrative. 


50 


Phallism  in 


the  national  frontiers.  The  meaning  of  the  word  Thoth, 
erecting,  associates  it  with  this  fact.  The  peculiar  primi- 
tive form  of  Mercury,  or  Hermes,  was  “ a large  stone,  fre- 
quently square,  and  without  either  hands  or  feet.  Some- 
times the  triangular  shape  was  preferred,  sometimes  an 
upright  pillar,  and  sometimes  a heap  of  rude  stones.”  * * * § 
The  pillars  were  called  by  the  Greeks  Hcrmce,  and  the 
heaps  were  known  as  Hcrmean  heaps — the  latter  being 
accumulated  “ by  the  custom  of  each  passenger  throwing 
a stone  to  the  daily  increasing  mass,  in  honor  of  the 
god.”  Sometimes  the  pillar  was  represented  with  the 
attributes  of  Priapus.f 

The  identification  of  Hermes  or  Mercury  with  Priapus 
is  confirmed  by  the  offices  which  the  latter  deity  fulfilled. 
One  of  the  most  important  was  that  of  protector  of  gar- 
dens and  orchards,  and  probably  this  was  the  original 
office  performed  by  Hermes  in  his  character  of  a “ god  of 
the  country.”^:  Figures  set  up  as  charms  to  protect 

the  produce  of  the  ground  would,  in  course  of  time,  be 
used  not  only  for  this  purpose,  but  also  to  mark  the 
boundaries  of  the  land  protected,  and  these  offices  being 
divided,  two  deities  would  finally  be  formed  out  of  one. 
The  Greek  Hermes  was  connected  also  with  the  Egyptian 
Khem,  and  no  less,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  symbols 
used  in  his  worship,  with  the  Hebrew  Eloah.  Thus,  in 
the  history  of  the  Hebrew  patriarchs,  we  are  told  that 
when  Jacob  entered  into  a covenant  with  his  father-in- 
law  Laban,  a pillar  was  set  up,  and  a heap  of  stones 
made,  § and  Laban  said  to  Jacob,  “Behold  this  heap 
and  behold  this  pillar,  which  I have  cast  betwixt  me  and 
thee  ; this  heap  be  witness,  and  this  pillar  be  witness,  that 
I will  not  pass  over  this  heap  to  thee,  and  that  thou  shall 
not  pass  over  this  heap  and  this  pillar  unto  me  for  harm.” 

* Faber’s  Pagan  Idolatry. 

f See  Dulaure,  op.  at.,  vol.  i.,  as  to  the  primeval  Hermes. 

\ Smith’s  Dictionary  of  Mythology.  Art.  “Hermes.” 

§ Genesis  xxxi.  45  to  53.  Jacob  called  the  heap  or  cairn  of  stones  Galeed, 
a circle,  and  the  statue  Mizpeh , or  a pillar. 


LINGHAM-YONI.  PAN’S  HEAD. 


Ancient  Religions. 


5i 


We  have  here  the  Hermes  and  Hermean  heap , used  by 
the  Greeks  as  landmarks,  and  placed  by  them  on  the 
public  roads. 

In  the  linga  of  India  we  have  another  instance  of  the 
use  of  the  pillar-symbol.  The  form  of  this  symbol  is 
sufficiently  expressive  of  the  idea  which  it  embodies — an 
idea  which  is  more  explicitly  shown  when  the  Linga  and 
the  Yoni  are,  as  is  usually  the  case  among  the  worship- 
pers of  the  Hindu  Siva,  combined  to  form  the  Lingam. 
The  stone  figure  is  not,  however,  itself  a god,  but  only 
representative  of  a spirit  * who  is  thought  to  be  able  to 
satisfy  the  yearning  for  children  so  characteristic  of  many 
primitive  peoples  ; this  probably  having  been  its  original 
object,  and  the  source  of  its  use  as  an  amulet  for  the  pro- 
tection of  children  against  the  influence  of  the  evil  eye. 
In  course  of  time,  however,  when  other  property  came  to 
be  coveted  equally  with  offspring,  the  power  to  give  this 
property  would  naturally  be  referred  to  the  primitive 
phalHc  spirit,  and  hence  he  became,  not  merely  the  pro- 
tector, as  we  have  seen,  of  the  produce  of  the  fields  and 
the  guardian  of  boundaries,  but  also  the  god  of  wealth 
and  traffic,  and  even  the  patron  of  thieves,  as  was  the  case 
with  the  Mercury  of  the  Romans. 

The  Hebrew  patriarchs  desired  large  flocks  as  well  as 
numerous  descendants,  and  hence  the  symbolical  pillar 
was  peculiarly  fitted  for  their  religious  rites.  It  is  related 
even  of  Abraham,  the  traditional  founder  of  the  Hebrew 
people,  that  he  “ planted  a grove  ieshel)  f in  Beersheba, 
and  called  there  on  the  name  of  Jehovah,  the  everlasting 
Elohim.”J  From  the  phallic  character  of  the  “grove” 
( ashera ) said  to  have  been  in  the  House  of  Jehovah,  and 
from  the  evident  connection  between  the  two  words,  we 
must  suppose  that  the  eshel  of  Abraham  also  had  a phallic 

* Linga  means  a “sign”  or  “token.”  The  truth  of  the  statement  in  the 
text  would  seem  to  follow,  moreover,  from  the  fact,  that  the  figure  is  sacred 
only  after  it  has  undergone  certain  ceremonies  at  the  hands  of  a priest. 

j Said  also  to  mean  a tamarisk  tree.  It  is  asserted  to  have  been  worshipped 
in  subsequent  times. 

\ Genesis  xxi.  33. 


52 


Phallism  in 


reference.*  Most  probably  the  so-called  “ grove  ” of  the 
earlier  patriarch,  though  it  may  have  been  of  wood,  and 
the  stone  “bethel”  of  Jacob,  had  the  same  form,  and 
were  simply  the  bctylus,\  the  primitive  symbol  of  deity 
among  all  Semitic  and  many  Hamitic  peoples. 

The  participation  of  the  Hebrew  patriarchs  in  the  rites 
connected  with  the  “ pillar-worship  ” of  the  ancient  world, 
renders  it  extremely  probable  that  they  were  not  stran- 
gers to  the  later  planetary  worship.  Many  of  the  old 
phallic  symbols  were  associated  with  the  new  supersti- 
tion ; and  Abraham  being  a Chaldean,  it  is  natural  to 
suppose  that  he  was  one  of  its  adherents.  Tradition, 
indeed,  affirms  that  Abraham  was  a great  astronomer, 
and,  at  one  time  at  least,  a worshipper  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  ; and  that  he  and  the  other  patriarchs  continued  to 
be  affected  by  this  superstition  is  shown  by  various  inci- 
dents related  in  the  Pentateuch.  Thus,  in  the  description 
given  of  the  sacrificial  covenant  between  Abraham  and 
Jehovah,  it  is  said  that,  after  Abraham  had  divided  the 
sacrificial  animals,  a deep  sleep  fell  upon  him  as  the  sun 
was  going  down,  and  Jehovah  spoke  with  him.  “ Then, 
when  the  sun  went  down,  and  it  was  dark,  behold  a 
smoking'  furnace  and  a burning  lamp  that  passed  between 
those  pieces.”  The  happening  of  this  event  at  the  mo- 
ment of  the  sun’s  setting  reminds  us  of  the  Sabaean  custom 
of  praying  to  the  setting  sun,  still  practiced,  according  to 
Palgrave,  among  the  nomads  of  Central  Arabia. 

THE  GREAT  RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENT  OF  ARCHAIC  TIME. 

That  some  great  religious  movement,  ascribed  by  tra- 
dition to  Abraham,  did  take  place  among  the  Semites  at 
an  early  date  is  undoubted.  What  the  object  of  this 

* Even  if  the  statement  of  this  event  be  an  interpolation,  the  argument  in 
the  text  is  not  affected.  The  statement  sufficiently  shows  what  was  the  form 
of  worship  traditionally  assigned  to  Abraham. 

f “ The  deity  Uranus  devised  Bxtylia,  stones  having  souls  ” (\l%vs  t/^ij/vxous 
— lithous  empsuc hoits). 


Ancient  Religions. 


53 


movement  was  it  is  difficult  to  decide.*  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  Chaldeans  worshipped  a plurality  of 
gods,  supposed  to  have  been  symbolized  by  the  seven 
planets.  Among  these  deities  the  sun-god  held  a com- 
paratively inferior  position,  the  moon-god,  Hnrki , coming 
before  him  in  the  second  triad,  f It  was  at  Ur,  the  special 

seat  of  the  worship  of  the  moon-god, :{:  that  Abraham  is 
said  to  have  lived  before  he  quitted  it  for  Haran  ; and  this 
fact,  considered  in  the  light  of  the  traditions  relating  to 
the  great  patriarch,  may,  perhaps,  justify  us  in  inferring 
that  the  reformation  he  endeavored  to  introduce  was  the 
substitution  of  a simple  sun-worship  for  the  planetary 
cult  of  the  Chaldeans,  in  which  the  worship  of  the  moon 
must  to  him  have  appeared  to  occupy  a prominent  place. 
The  new  faith  was,  indeed,  a return  to  the  old  phallic  idea 
of  a god  of  personal  generation,  worshipped  through  the 
symbolical  bctylus,  but  associated  also  with  the  adoration 
of  the  sun  as  the  especial  representative  of  the  deity. 
That  Abraham  had  higher  notions  of  the  relation  of  man 
to  the  divine  being  than  his  forerunners  is  very  probable, 
but  his  sojourn  in  Haran  proves  that  there  was  nothing 
fundamentally  different  between  his  religious  faith  and 
that  of  his  Syrian  neighbors.  I am  inclined,  indeed,  to 
believe  that  to  the  traditional  Abraham  must  be  ascribed 
the  establishment  of  sun-worship  throughout  Phoenicia  and 
Lower  Egypt,  in  connection  with  the  symbols  of  an  earlier 
and  more  simple  phallic  deity.  Tradition,  in  fact,  declares 
that  he  taught  the  Egyptians  astronomy  ; § and  we  shall 
see  that  the  religion  of  the  Phoenicians,  as,  indeed,  that  of 
the  Hebrews  themselves,  was  the  worship  of  Saturn,  the 

* May  it  not  have  been  the  “ Religious  War  ” which  is  recorded  as  having 
taken  place  in  the  different  countries  of  the  archaic  period,  from  India  to  the 
remoter  West  ? — Ed. 

f Rawlinson’s  Five  Ancient  Monarchies,  vol.  i.,  p.  617  ; ii.,  p.  247. 

$ The  later  Hebrews  affected  the  Persian  religion,  in  which  the  Sun  was 
the 'emblem  of  worship.  Abraham  evidently  had  a like  preference,  being  a 
reputed  iconoclast.  The  lunar  religionists  employed  images  in  their  worship. 
—Ed. 

§ Josephus,  Antiquities  of  the  Jews,  Book  i.,  chap,  viii.,  § 2. 


54 


Phallism  in 


erect  pillar-god,  who,  under  different  names,  appears  to 
have  been  at  the  head  of  the  pantheons  of  most  of  the 
peoples  of  antiquity.  The  reference  in  Hebrew  history  to 
the  teraphim  of  Jacob’s  family  recalls  the  fact  that  the 
name  assigned  to  Abraham’s  father  was  Ter  ah,  a “ maker 
of  images.”  The  teraphim  were,  doubtless,  the  same  as 
the  seraphim , which  were  serpent-images,*  and  the  house- 
hold charms,  or  idols,  of  the  Semitic  worshippers  of  the 
sun-god,  to  whom  the  serpent  was  sacred. 

Little  is  known  of  the  religious  habits  of  the  Hebrews 
during  their  abode  in  Egypt.  Probably  they  scarcely 
differed  from  those  of  the  Egyptians  themselves  ; and, 
even  with  the  religion  of  Moses,  so-called,  which  we  may 
presume  to  have  been  a reformed  faith,  there  are  many 
points  of  contact  with  the  earlier  cult.  The  use  of  the  ark 
of  Osiris  and  Isis  shows  the  influence  of  Egyptian  ideas  ; 
and  the  introduction  of  the  new  name  for  God,  Jahve,  is 
evidence  of  contact  with  late  Phoenician  thought,  f The 
ark  was,  doubtless,  used  to  symbolize  nature, + as  distin- 
guished from  the  serpent-  and  pillar-symbols  which  had 
relation  more  particularly  to  man.  The  latter,  however, 
were  by  far  the  most  important,  as  they  were  most  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  worship  of  the  national  deity, 
who  was  the  divine  father,  as  Abraham  was  the  human 
progenitor,  of  the  Hebrew  people.  That  this  deity,  not- 
withstanding his  change  of  name,  retained  his  character 
cff  a sun-god,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  is  repeatedly 
said  to  have  appeared  to  Moses  under  the  figure  of  a 
flame.  The  pillar  of  fire  which  guided  the  Hebrews  by 
night  in  the  wilderness,  the  appearance  of  the  cloudy  pil- 

* The  serpent-symbol  of  the  exodus  [Numbers  xxi.]  is  called  a “seraph.” 

[ Moses  is  set  forth  as  the  son-in-law  of  Jethro  or  Hobab,  the  Kenite,  a 
priest ; and  probably  became  his  disciple.  At  Horeb  he  learned,  by  a sacred 
vision,  or  initiation,  the  sacred  name.  As  the  Kenites  were  scribes  or  hiero- 
phants (i  Chronicles  ii.  55),  it  is  very  probable  that  they  had  the  knowledge 
of  this  name,  in  common  with  the  Phoenicians,  Chaldeans,  and  the  sacerdotal 
orders  of  other  Asiatic  nations. — Ed. 

% The  ark  was  the  depositum  of  divine  or  generative  power  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  human  race.  The  dove  always  accompanies  it. 


Ancient  Religions. 


55 


lar  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and  probably  of  a flame 
over  the  mercy-seat  to  betoken  the  presence  of  Jehovah, 
and  the  perpetual  fire  on  the  altar,  all  point  to  the  same 
conclusion.  The  notion  entertained  by  Ewald,  that  the 
idea  connected  with  the  Hebrew  Jahve  was  that  of  a “ De- 
liverer ” or  “Healer”  (Saviour),* * * §  is  quite  consistent 
with  the  fact  I have  stated.  Not  only  was  the  primeval 
Phoenician  deity,  El,  or  Cronus,  the  preserver  of  the  world, 
for  the  benefit  of  which  he  offered  a mystical  sacrifice, f 
but  “Saviour”  was  a common  title  of  the  sun-gods  of 
antiquity. 

THE  HEBREW  IDENTIFIED  WITH  ETHNIC  RELIGIONS. 

There  is  one  remarkable  incident  which  is  said  to  have 
happened  during  the  wanderings  of  the  Hebrews  in  the 
Sinaitic  wilderness,  which  appears  to  throw  much  light  on 
the  character  of  the  Mosaic  cult,  and  to  connect  it  with 
other  religions.  I refer  to  the  use  of  the  brazen  serpent 
as  a symbol  for  the  healing  of  the  people.:}:  The  worship 

of  the  golden  calf  may,  perhaps,  be  described  as  an  idola- 
trous act,  in  imitation  of  the  rites  of  Egyptian  Osiris-wor- 
ship,  although  probably  suggested  by  the  use  of  the  ark. 
The  other  case,  however,  is  far  different;  and  it  is  worth 
while  repeating  the  exact  words  in  which  the  use  of  the 
serpent-symbol  is  described.  When  the  people  were  bit- 
ten by  the  “fiery”  serpents, § Moses  prayed  for  them, 
and  we  read  that,  thereupon,  “ Jehovah  said  unto  Moses, 
make  thee  a fiery  serpent  [literally,  a seraph ] , and  set  it 

* The  History  of  Israel  (English  translation),  vol.  i.,  p.  532. 

f See  Sanchoniatkon  (Cory,  op.  cit.). 

% “ But  for  the  foolish  devices  of  their  wickedness,  wherewith  being  de- 
ceived, they  worshipped  serpents  void  of  reason,  and  vile  beasts,  thou  didst 
send  a multitude  of  irrational  beasts  upon  them  for  vengeance,  that  they 
might  know  that  wherewithal  a man  sinneth,  by  the  same  also  shall  he  be 
condemned.” — Wisdom  of  Solomon,  xi.  16. 

§ Much  discussion  has  taken  place  as  to  the  nature  of  these  animals.  For 
an  explanation  of  the  epithet  “fiery,”  see  Sanchoniathon,  “ Of  the  Serpent  ” 
(Cory,  op.  cit.). 


56 


Phallism  in 


upon  a pole  ; and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  every  one 
that  is  bitten,  when  he  looketh  upon  it,  shall  live.  And 
Moses  made  a serpent  of  brass,  and  put  it  upon  a pole, 
and  it  came  to  pass  that,  if  a serpent  had  bitten  any  man, 
when  he  beheld  the  serpent  of  brass  he  lived.”*  It 
wrould  seem,  from  this  account,  that  the  Hebrew  seraph 
was,  as  before  suggested,  in  the  form  of  a serpent  ; but 
what  was  the  especial  significance  of  this  healing  figure  ? f 

At  an  earlier  stage  of  our  inquiry,  I referred  to  the  fact 
of  the  serpent  being,  indirectly,  through  its  attribute  of 
wisdom,  a phallic  symbol,  but  also  directly  an  emblem  of 
life,  and  to  the  peculiar  position  it  held  in  nearly  all  the 
religions  of  antiquity.  In  later  Egyptian  mythology,  the 
contest  between  Osiris  and  the  Evil  Being,  and  afterwards 
that  between  Horns  and  Typhon,  occupy  an  important 
place.  Typhon,  the  adversary  of  Horus,  was  figured 
under  the  symbol  of  a serpent,  called  Aphophis,  or  the 
Giant,:]:  and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  he  was  only  a later 
form  of  the  god  Seth.  Professor  Reuvens  refers  to  an 
invocation  of  Typhon-Seth ; § and  Bunsen  quotes  the 
statement  of  Epiphanius  that  “ the  Egyptians  celebrate 
the  festivals  of  Typhon  under  the  form  of  an  ass,  which 
they  call  Seth . ” {|  Whatever  maybe  the  explanation  of 
the  fact,  it  is  undoubted  that,  notwithstanding  the  hatred 
with  which  he  was  afterwards  regarded,  this  god  Seth,  or 
Set,  was  at  one  time  highly  venerated  in  Egypt.  Bunsen 
says  that,  up  to  the  thirteenth  century  before  Christ,  Set 
“ was  a great  god  universally  adored  throughout  Egypt, 
who  confers  on  the  sovereigns  of  the  eighteenth  and  nine- 

* Numbers  xxi.  8,  9. 

f “ Having  come  to  the  interior  of  the  desert,  the  people  were  exposed  to 
the  attacks  of  Burning  Serpents , as  the  original  text  reads,  the  bite  of  which 
caused  great  pain  ; and  not  a few  of  the  sufferers  died,  which  again  produced 
an  immense  excitement  in  the  camp.  Moses  was  ordered  to  resort  to  the 
means  of  the  Phoenician  Esculapius,  whose  symbol,  the  brass  serpent,  was 
erected  in  the  camp,  which  produced  the  desired  effect.” — History  of  the 
Israelitish  Nation , by  Isaac  M.  Wise,  p.  102. 

% Wilkinson’s  Ancient  Egyptians , vol.  iv. , p.  435.  § Ditto,  p.  434. 

I Egypt,  vol.  iii.,  p.  426. 


57 


Ancient  Religions. 

teenth  dynasties  the  symbols  of  life  and  power.  The 
most  glorious  monarch  of  the  latter  dynasty,  Sethos, 
derives  his  name  from  this  deity.”  He  adds  : “ But  sub- 
sequently, in  the  course  of  the  twentieth  dynasty,  he  is 
suddenly  treated  as  an  evil  demon,  inasmuch  that  his 
effigies  and  name  are  obliterated  on  all  the  monuments 
and  inscriptions  that  could  be  reached.”  Moreover,  ac- 
cording to  this  distinguished  writer,  Seth  “ appears  gradu- 
ally among  the  Semites  as  the  background  of  their  relig- 
ious consciousness  and  not  merely  was  he  “ the  primi- 
tive God  of  Northern  Egypt  and  Palestine,”  but  his 
genealogy  as  “ the  Seth  of  Genesis,  the  father  of  Enoch 
(the  man),  must  be  considered  as  originally  running  paral- 
lel with  that  derived  from  the  Elohim,  Adam’s  father.”* 
That  Seth  had  some  special  connection  with  the  Hebrews 
is  proved,  among  other  things,  by  the  peculiar  position 
occupied  in  their  religious  system  by  the  ass — the  first- 
born of  which  alone  of  all  animals  was  allowed  to  be 
redeemed! — and  the  red  heifer — whose  ashes  were  to  be 
reserved  as  a “water  of  separation”  for  purification  from 
sin.!  Both  of  these  animals  were  in  Egypt  sacred  to  Seth 
(Typhon),  the  ass  being  his  symbol,  and  red  oxen  being 
at  one  time  sacrificed  to  him,  although  at  a later  date 
objects  of  a red  color  were  disliked,  owing  to  their  asso- 
ciation with  the  dreaded  Typhon. § That  we  have  a refer- 
ence to  this  deity  in  the  name  of  the  Hebrew  lawgiver  is 
very  probable.  No  satisfactory  derivation  of  this  name, 
Moses,  Mosheh  (Heb.),  has  yet  been  given.  ||  Its  original 
form  was  probably  Am-a-ses  or  Am-ses,  which  in  course 
of  time  would  become  to  the  Hebrews  Om-ses  or  Mo-ses, 
meaning  only  the  (god)  Ses,  i.e. , Set  or  Seth.^f  On  this 

* God  in  History , vol.  i.,  pp.  233-4. 

\ Exodus  xxxiv.  20.  f Numbers  xix.  1-10. 

§ As  to  the  God  Seth,  see  Pleyte,  La  Religion  des  Pre- Israelites  (1862). 

||  The  Sanscrit,  Maha  vuse,  a great  sage,  seems  to  be  a plausible  etymol- 
ogy. Musa  as  it  is  pronounced,  is  the  Arabic  name ; and  it  may  have  an 
affinity  with  the  Muses  of  Thessaly  and  the  ancient  sage  Musx-us. — Ed. 

T According  to  Pleyte,  the  Cabalists  thought  that  the  soul  of  Seth  had 
passed  into  Moses  (op.  cit.,  p.  124).  It  is  strange  that  the  name  of  the 

4 


53 


Phallism  in 


hypothesis,  there  may  have  been  preserved  in  the  first 
book  of  Moses  (so-called)  some  of  the  traditional  wisdom 
said  to  have  been  contained  in  the  sacred  books  of  the 
Egyptian  Thoth,  and  of  the  records  engraved  on  the  pil- 
lars of  Seth.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that,  according 
to  a statement  of  Diodorus,  when  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
entered  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  he  found  in  the  Holy  of 
Holies  a stone  figure  of  Moses,  represented  as  a man  with 
a long  beard,  mounted  on  an  ass,  and  having  a book  in 
his  hand.*  The  Egyptian  mythus  of  Typhon  actually 
said  that  Seth  fled  from  Egypt  riding  on  a gray  ass.f  It 
is  strange,  to  say  the  least,  that  Moses  should  not  have 
been  allowed  to  enter  the  promised  land,  and  that  he 
should  be  so  seldom  referred  to  by  later  writers  until  long 
after  the  reign  of  David, J;  and  above  all,  that  the  name 
given  to  his  successor  was  Joshua,  i.e. , Saviour.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice  that  Nun,  the  name  of  the  father  of 
Joshua,  is  the  Semitic  word  for  fish,  the  phallic  character 
of  the  fish  in  Chaldean  mythology  being  undoubted.  Nin, 
the  planet  Saturn,  was  the  fish- god  of  Berosus,  and,  as  I 
think  can  be  shown,  he  is  really  the  same  as  the  Assyrian 
national  deity  Asshur,  whose  name  and  office  bear  a 
curious  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Hebrew  leader, 
Jos  Jut  a. 

But  what  was  the  character  of  the  primitive  Semitic 
deity  ? Bunsen  seems  to  think  that  Plutarch,  in  one  pas- 
sage, alludes  to  the  identity  of  Typhon  (Seth)  and  Osiris. § 
This  is  a remarkable  idea,  and  yet  curiously  enough  Sir 
Gardner  Wilkinson  says  that  Typhon-Seth  may  have  been 

Egyptian  princess  who  is  said  to  have  brought  up  Moses  is  given  by  Jose- 
phus as  Thermuthis,  this  being  the  name  of  the  sacred  asp  of  Egypt  (see  su- 
pra). We  appear,  also,  to  have  a reference  to  the  serpent  in  the  name  Levi, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  from  whom  the  descent  of  Moses  was  traced. 

* Fragments,  Book  xxxiv.  See,  also,  in  connection  with  this  subject, 
King’s  Gnostics , p.  91. 

J Bunsen’s  God  in  History , vol.  i.,  p.  234. 

| Ewald  notices  this  fact.  See  op.  fit.,  p.  454.  See,  also,  Inman’s  An- 
cient Faiths  Embodied  in  Ancient  Names,  vol.  ii. , p.  338. 

§ Egypt,  vol.  iii.,  p.  433. 


Ancient  Religions. 


59 


061 


derived  from  the  pigmy  Pthah-Sokari-Osiris,*  who  was 
clearly  only  another  form  of  Osiris  himself.  However 
this  may  be,  the  phallic  origin  of  Seth  can  be  shown  from 
other  data.  Thus,  it  appears  that  the  word  Set  means, 
in  Hebrew,  as  well  as  in  Egyptian,  pillar,  and  in  a gen- 
eral sense,  the  erect,  elevated,  high.f  Moreover,  in  a 
passage  of  the  Egyptian  Book  of  the  Dead,  Set  is  called 
Tct , a fact  which,  according  to  Bunsen,  intimates  that 
Thoth  inherited  many  of  the  attributes  of  Set.:}:  They 

were,  however,  in  reality  the  same  deities.  Set,  by 
change  of  the  initial  letter,  becomes  Tct,  one  of  the  names 
of  Thoth,  or  rather  the  same  name  ; as  Set  agrees  with 
Seth.§  We  have  in  this  an  explanation  of  the  statement 
that  Tet,  the  Phoenician  Taant,  was  the  snake-god  Es- 
mun-Esculapius  ; ||  the  serpent  being  the  symbol  of  Tet, 
as  we  have  seen  it  to  have  been  that  of  Seth  also.  In 
this  we  have  a means  of  identifying  the  Semitic  deity 
Seth,  with  the  Saturn  and  related  deities  of  other  peoples. 
Ewald  says  that  “ the  common  name  for  God,  Eloah, 
amnnrr  tl1P  Hebrews,  as  among  all  the  Semites,  goes  back 
liest  times.”  *f  Bryant  goes  further,  and  de- 
El  was  originally  the  name  of  the  supreme 
y all  the  nations  of  the  East.**  This  idea  is 
50  far  as  Chaldea  is  concerned,  by  later  re- 
hich  show  that  II  or  El  was  at  the  head  of  the 
pantheon.  With  this  deity  must  be  identified 
lus  of  the  Phoenicians,  who  was  the  same  as 
10  again  was  none  other  than  the  primeval 
ose  worship  appears  to  have  been  at  one 
ost  universal  among  European  and  Asiatic 


t LU 
<>  K <> 


< 

oc 

f! 

fl 


II 

i!i 


>1-  iv.,  p.  434- 
gypt,  vol.  iv.,  p.  208. 
iii.,  p.  427. 

;omes  Thoth,  so  Mo-i«  becomes  in  the  Hebrew  Mo -s/iesh. 
Serpent  made  by  Moses,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  the  sym- 
lity  ; and  it  was  worshipped  till  the  time  of  King  Hezekiah, 
1 broken  in  pieces. — Ed. 

>.  319. 

vol.  vi.,  p.  328. 


6o 


Phallism  in 


peoples.  Saturn  and  El  were  thus  the  same  deity,  the 
latter,  like  the  Semitic  Seth,  being,  as  is  well  known, 
symbolized  by  the  serpent.*  A direct  point  of  con- 
tact between  Seth  and  Saturn  is  found  in  the  Hebrew 
idol  Kiyun,  mentioned  by  Amos,  the  planet  Saturn 
being  still  called  Kivan  by  Eastern  peoples.  This  idol 
was  represented  in  the  form  of  a pillar,  the  primeval  sym- 
bol of  deity,  which  was  common  undoubtedly  to  all  the 
gods  here  mentioned. f These  symbolical  pillars  were 
called  Betyli , or  Betulia.  Sometimes  also  the  column 
was  called  Abaddir,  which,  strangely  enough,  Bryant 
identifies  with  the  serpent-god. f There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  both  the  pillar  and  the  serpent  were  associated  with 
many  of  the  Sun-Gods  of  antiquity. 

Notwithstanding  what  has  been  said,  it  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  all  these  deities,  including  the  Semitic  Seth, 
became  at  an  early  date  recognized  as  Sun-Gods,  although 
in  so  doing  they  lost  nothing  of  their  primitive  character. 
What  this  was  is  sufficiently  shown  by  the  significant 
names  and  titles  they  bore.  Thus,  as  we  have  seen,  Set 
(Seth)  itself  meant  the  erect,  elevated,  high,  and  his  name 
on  the  Egyptian  monuments  was  nearly  always  accom- 
panied by  the  representation  of  a stone. § Kiyun,  or 
Kivan,  the  name  of  the  deity  said  by  Amos||  to  have 
been  worshipped  in  the  wilderness  by  the  Hebrews,  sig- 
nifies God  of  the  Pillar.  The  idea  embodied  in  this  title 
is  shown  by  the  name  Baal  Tamar,  which  means  “ Baal 
as-a  Pillar,”  or  “ Phallus,”  consequently  “ the  fructifying 
God.”  H The  title  “ erect,”  when  given  to  a deity,  seems 
always  to  imply  a phallic  notion,  and  hence  we  have  the 
explanation  of  the  name  S.  mou,  used  frequently  in  the 

* As  to  the  use  of  this  symbol  generally,  see  Pleyte,  op.  cit.,  pp.  109,  157. 

I On  these  points,  see  M.  Raoul-Rochette’s  memoir  on  the  Assyrian  and 
Phoenician  Hercules,  in  the  Mhnoires  de  VInstitut  National  de  France  ( Aca- 
demic des  Inscriptions),  tom.  xvii.,  p.  47  et  seq. 

t Op.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  p.  60;  vol.  ii. , p.  201. 

§ Pleyte,  op.  cit.,  p.  172. 

||  Chap.  v.  26. 

Tf  Bunsen’s  Egypt,  vol.  iv.,  p.  249. 


COINS  COMMEMORATIVE  OF  THE  MOON-GOD, 


Ancient  Religions.  6 1 

“ Book  of  the  Dead,”  in  relation  to  Thoth,  or  to  Set. 
There  is  doubtless  a reference  of  the  same  kind  in  the 
Phcenician  myth  that  “ Melekh  taught  men  the  special 
art  of  erecting  solid  walls  and  buildings  ; ” although  Bun- 
sen finds  in  this  myth  “ the  symbolical  mode  of  expressing 
the  value  of  the  use  of  fire  in  building  houses.”*  That 
these  myths  embody  a phallic  notion  may  be  confirmed 
by  reference  to  the  Phcenician  Kabiri.  According  to 
Bunsen,  “ the  Kabiri  and  the  divinities  identified  with, 
him  are  explained  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans  as  ‘ the 
strong,’  ‘ the  great  ; ’ ” while  in  the  book  of  Job,  kabbir , 
the  strong,  is  used  as  an  epithet  of  God.  Again,  Sydyk , 
the  father  of  the  Kabiri,  is  “ the  Just,  or  in  a more  original 
sense,  the  Upright,”  and  this  deity,  with  his  sons,  corre- 
spond to  the  Phoenician  Pataikoi,  and  to  Ptah,  their 
father.  Ptah,  however,  appears  to  be  derived  from  a 
root,  sms,  which  signifies  in  Hebrew,  “ to  open,”  and 
Sydyk  himself,  therefore,  may,  says  Bugsen,  be  described 
as  “ the  opener”  of  the  Cosmic  Egg.f  The  phallic  mean- 
ing of  this  title  is  evident  from  its  application  to  Esmun- 
Esculapius  (the  son  of  Sydyk)  who,  as  the  Snake-God, 
was  identical  with  Tet,  the  Egyptian  Thoth-Hermes. 

The  peculiar  titles  given  to  these  pillar-deities,  and  their 
association  with  the  sun,  led  to  their  original  phallic  char- 
acter being  somewhat  overlooked,  and,  instead  of  being 
the  Father-Gods  of  human  kind,  they  became  Powerful 
Gods,  Lords  of  Heaven.  This  was  not  the  special  attribute 
taken  by  other  sun-gods.  I have  already  stated  that 
Hermes,  and  his  related  deities,  were  “gods  of  the  coun- 
try,” personifying  the  idea  of  general  natural  fecundity. 
Among  the  chief  gods  of  this  description  were  the  Phoe- 
nician Sabazius,  the  Greek  Bacchus-Dionysos,  the  Roman 
Priapus,  and  the  Egyptian  Kliem.  All  these  deities  agree 
also  in  being  sun-gods,  and  as  such  they  were  symbol- 
ized by  animals  which  were  noted  either  for  their  fecun- 
dity or  for  their  salaciousness.  The  chief  animals  thus 

* Egypt,  p.  217. 

f See  ditto,  pp.  226-99. 


62 


Phallism  in 


chosen  were  the  bull  and  the  goat  (with  which  the  ram 
was  afterward  confounded* * * §),  and  this  doubtless  because 
they  were  already  sacred.  The  sun  appears  to  have  been 
preceded  by  the  moon,  as  an  object  of  worship,  but  the 
Moon-God  was  probably  only  representative  of  the 
primeval  Saturn, f who  finally  became  the  Sun-God  El  or 
II  of  the  Syrians  and  the  Semites,  and  the  Ra  of  the  Baby- 
lonians, The  latter  was  also  the  title  of  the  Sun-God  of 
Egypt,  who  was  symbolized  by  the  obelisk,  and  who,  al- 
though jiis  name  was  added  to  that  of  other  Egyptian  Gods, 
appears  to  have  been  the  tutelary  deity  of  the  stranger-kings 
of  the  1 8th  dynasty,  whom  Pleyte,f  however,  declares  to 
have  been  Set  (Sutech).§  We  are  reminded  here  of  the  op- 
position of  Seth  and  Osiris,  which  I have  already  explained 
as  arising  from  the  fact  that  these  deities  originally  repre- 
sented two  different  ideas — human  fecundity  and  the  fruit- 
fulness of  nature.  When,  however,  both  of  these  prin- 
ciples became  associated  with  the  solar  body,  they  were 
expressed  by.  the  same  symbols,  and  the  distinction  be- 
tween them  was  in  great  measure  lost  sight  of.  A certain 
difference  was,  nevertheless,  still  observable  in  the  attri- 
butes of  the  deities,  depending  on  the  peculiar  properties 
and  associations  of  their  solar  representatives.  Thus  the 
powerful  deity  of  Phoenicia  was  naturally  associated  with 
the  strong,  scorching  summer-sun,  whose  heat  was  the 
most  prominent  attribute.  In  countries  such  as  Egypt, 
where  the  sun,  acting  on  the  moist  soil  left  by  inunda- 
tions, caused  the  earth  to  spring  into  renewed  life,  the 
mild  but  energetic  early  sun  was  the  chief  deity. 

* It  has  been  suggested  that  the  ram  was  introduced  as  an  astrological 
symbol.  By  the  precession  of  the  equinoxes,  the  sign  Aries  became  the  em- 
blem of  the  Sun,  as  the  genitor  of  the  new  year,  and  so  a proper  effigy 
of  the  Deity.  The  appearance  of  the  Iamb  or  ram  would,  of  course,  create 
confusion  and  misapprehension,  as  well  as  controversy  among  those  who  did 
not  understand  astronomy. — Ed. 

\ Rawlinson’s  History  of  Herodotus,  Book  i. ; appendix,  essay  x. 

if  Ditto,  ii.  ; appendix,  viii.  23. 

§ Op.  cit.,  p.  89  et  seq. 


Ancient  Religions. 


63 


THE  SUN-GODS  OF  ANTIQUITY. 

When  considering  the  sacred  bull  of  antiquity,  the  sym- 
bol of  the  fecundating  force  in  nature,  I referred  to  Osiris, 
the  national  sun-god  of  the  Egyptians,  as  distinguished 
from  the  Semitic  Seth  (Set),  who  was  identified  with  the 
detested  Shepherd  race.  The  association  of  Osiris  with 
Khem  shows  his  phallic  character,*  and,  in  fact,  Plutarch 
asserts  that  he  was  everywhere  represented  with  the 
phallus  exposed. f The  phallic  idea  enters,  moreover, 
into  the  character  of  all  the  chief  Egyptian  deities.  Bun- 
sen says:  “The  mythological  system  obviously  pro- 
ceeded from  ‘ the  concealed  god,’  Ammon,  to  the  creating 
god.  The  latter  appears  first  of  all  as  the  generative 
power  of  nature  in  the  phallic  god  Khem,  who  is  after- 
wards merged  in  Ammon-ra.  Then  sprung  up  the  idea 
of  the  creative  power  in  Kncph.  He  forms  the  divine 
limbs  of  Osiris  (the  primeval  Soul)  in  contradiction  to 
Ptah,  who,  as  the  strictly  demiurgic  principle,  forms  the 
visible  world.  Neith  is  the  creative  principle,  as  nature 
represented  under  a feminine  form.  Finally,  her  son  Ra, 
Helios,  appears  as  the  last  of  the  series,  in  the  character  of 
father  and  nourisher  of  terrestrial  things.  It  is  he  whom  an 
ancient  monument  represents  as  the  demiurgic  principle, 
creating  the  mundane  egg.”f  The  name  of  Ammon  has 
led  to  the  notion  that  he  was  the  embodiment  of  the  idea 
of  wisdom.  He  certainly  was  distinguished  by  having  the 
human  form,  but  his  hieroglyphical  symbol  of  the  obelisk , 
and  his  connection  with  Khem,  show  his  true  nature. 
He  undoubtedly  represented  the  primitive  idea  of  a gener- 
ative god,  probably  at  a time  when  this  notion  of  fecun- 
dity had  not  yet  been  extended  to  nature  as  distinguished 
from  man,  and  thus  he  would  form  a point  of  contact  be- 
tween the  later  Egyptian  sun-gods  and  the  pillar-gods  of  the 

* Wilkinson,  op.  cit.,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  342,  260. 

•(•  Bunsen’s  Egypt , vol.  i. , p.  423. 

% Op.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  p.  38S. 


64 


Phallism  in 


Semites  and  Phoenicians.* * * §  To  the  Egyptians,  as  to  these 
other  peoples,  the  sun  became  the  great  source  of  deity. 
His  fecundating  warmth  or  his  fiery  destroying  heat  were, 
however,  not  the  only  attributes  deified.  These  were  the 
most  important,  but  the  Egyptians,  especially,  made  gods 
out  of  many  of  the  solar  characters  ;f  although  the  asso- 
ciation of  the  idea  of  “ intellect”  with  Ammon-ra  must 
have  been  of  late  date,  if  the  original  nature  of  Ammon  be 
what  I have  suggested. 

As  man,  however,  began  to  read  nature  aright,  and  as 
his  moral  and  intellectual  faculties  were  developed,  it  was 
necessary  that  the  solar  deities  themselves  should  be- 
come invested  with  co-relative  attributes,  or  that  other 
gods  should  be  formed  to  embody  them.  The  percep- 
tion of  light,  as  distinct  from  heat,  was  a fertile  source 
of  such  attributes.  In  the  Chaldean  mythology,  Vnl , 
the  son  of  Ann,  was  the  god  of  the  air ; but  his  power 
had  relation  to  the  purely  atmospheric  phenomena  rather 
than  to  light,  f The  only  reference  to  light  I find  in  the 
titles  of  the  early  deities  is  in  the  character  ascribed  to 
Va-lua,  the  later  Bar  or  Nin-ip,  who  is  said  to  “ irradi- 
ate the  nations  like  the  sun,  the  light  of  the  gods.”§  But 
this  deity  was  apparently  the  distant  planet  Saturn, 
although  it  may  have  been  originally  the  moon,  and  I 
would  refer  to  the  Aryan  mind  the  perception  of  light  as 
a divine  attribute.!  Thus  the  Hindu  Dyaus  (the  Greek 
Zeus ) is  the  shining  deity — the  god  of  the  bright  sky.  As 
such,  the  sun-gods  now  also  become  the  gods  of  intellec- 
tual wisdom,  an  attribute  which  likewise  appears  to  have 
originated  with  the  Aryan  peoples,  amongst  whom  the 

* In  the  temple  of  Hercules  at  Tyre  were  two  symbolical  sleles,  one  a pil- 
lar, and  the  other  an  obelisk.  See  Raoul-Rochette,  op.  cit.,  p.  51,  where 
is  a reference  to  a curious  tradition  preserved  by  Josephus,  connecting  Moses 
with  the  erection  of  columns  at  Heliopolis. 

f Wilkinson,  op.  cit.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  299. 

\ Rawlinson’s  Herodotus,  Book  i. ; appendix,  essay  x. 

§ Ravvlinson,  op.  cit..  Book  i.  ; appendix,  essay  x. 

||  Man.  the  name  of  the  Egyptian  God  of  Truth,  certainly  signifies  “light,” 
but  probably  only  in  a figurative  sense. 


Figure  IB. 


DIANA  OR  ARTEMIS, 
THE  MOTHER  GOD- 
DESS OF  EPHESUS. 


BHAVANI,  CONSORT  OF 
MA1IA  DEVA,  THE 
MOTHER-GODDESS 
OF  PRE-BRAHMAN 
INDIA. 


Ancient  Rc/igions. 


65 


Brahmans  were  the  possessors  of  the  highest  wisdom,  as 
children  of  the  sun,  and  whose  Apollo  and  Athene  were 
noble  embodiments  of  this  attribute.  The  Chaldean  gods 
Hea  and  Ncbo  were  undoubtedly  symbolized  by  the 
wedge  or  arrow-head,  which  had  especial  reference  to 
learning.  In  reality,  however,  this  symbol  merely  shows 
that  they  were  the  patrons  of  letters  or  writing,  and  not 
of  “ wisdom,”  in  its  purely  intellectual  aspect.  If  the 
form  of  the  Assyrian  alphabetical  character  was  of  phallic 
origin,*  we  have  here  the  source  of  the  idea  of  a connec- 
tion between  physical  and  mental  knowledge  embodied  in 
the  legend  of  the  “ fall.”  In  the  Persian  Ahuro-Mazdao 
(the  Wise  Spirit)  we  have  the  purest  representation  of  in- 
tellectual wisdom.  The  book  of  Zoroaster,  the  Avesta,  is 
literally  the  “ Word  ” — the  word  or  wisdom  which  was  re- 
vealed in  creation,  and  embodied  in  the  divine  Mithra, 
who  was  himself  the  luminous  sun-god. 

LESLEY’S  “ARKITE  SYMBOLISM.” 

I have  already  referred  to  the  similarity  between  the 
symbols  of  the  sun-gods  of  antiquity  and  the  natural  ob- 
jects introduced  into  the  Mosaic  myth  of  the  fall  ; and  it 
is  necessary  now  to  consider  shortly  what  influence  the 
phallic  principle  there  embodied  had  over  other  portions 
of  Hebraic  theology.  The  inquiries  of  Dr.  Faber  have 
thrown  great  light  on  this  question,  although  the  expla- 
nation given  by  him  of  the  myth  of  Osiris  and  of  the 
kindred  myths  of  antiquity  is  by  no  means  the  correct  one. 
Finding  an  universal  prevalence  of  phallic  ideas  and  sym- 
bolism, Dr.  Faber  refers  it  to  the  degradation  of  a primi- 
tive revelation  of  the  Great  Father  of  the  Universe.  The 
truth  thus  taught  was  lost  sight  of,  and  was  replaced  by 
the  dual  notion  of  a great  father  and  a great  mother — 
“the  transmigrating  Noah  and  the  mundane  Ark”  of 

* The  importance  ascribed  to  the  mechanical  arts  may,  perhaps,  lead  us  to 
look  for  the  formal  origin  of  this  character  in  the  “wedge,”  which  was  the 
chief  mechanical  power  the  ancients  possessed. 


66 


Phallism  in 


the  universal  deluge.  Noah  was,  however,  only  a re-ap- 
pearance  of  Adam,  and  the  Ark  floating  on  the  waters  of 
the  deluge  was  an  analogue  of  the  earth  swimming  in  the 
ocean  of  space.*  There  is  undoubtedly  a parallelism  be- 
tween the  Adam  and  Noah  of  the  Hebrew  legends,  as 
there  is  between  the  analogous  personages  of  the  other 
phases  of  these  legends  ; yet  it  is  evident  that,  if  the  de- 
luge never  happened,  a totally  different  origin  from  the 
one  supposed  by  Dr.  Faber  must  be  assigned  to  the  great 
phallic  myth  of  antiquity.  It  is  absolutely  necessary, 
therefore,  to  any  explanation  (other  than  the  phallic  one) 
of  the  origin  of  this  myth,  to  establish  the  truth  of  the 
Noachic  deluge. f Accordingly,  a late  American  writer 
has  formed  an  elaborate  system  of  “ Arkite  Symbolism,” 
founded  on  the  supposed  influence  of  the  great  deluge 
over  the  minds  of  the  posterity  of  those  who  survived  its 
horrors.  Mr.  Lesley  sees  in  this  catastrophe  the  explana- 
tion of  “ phallism,”  which,  “ converting  all  the  older 
Arkite  symbols  into  illustrations  of  its  own  philosophical 
conceptions  of  the  mystery  of  generation,  gave  to  the 
various  parts  and  members  of  the  human  body  those 
names  which  constitute  the  special  vocabulary  of  ob- 
scenity of  the  present  day.”;}; 

But  the  priority  of  these  symbols  or  conceptions  is  the 
question  at  issue.  Did  the  development  of  “ arkism  ” 
precede  or  follow  the  superstitions  referred  to  by  Mr.  Les- 
ley as  Ophism,  Mithraism , and  Phallism,  all  of  which  I 
have  shown  to  embody  analogous  ideas  ? If  the  question 
of  priority  is  to  be  determined  by  reference  to  the  written 
tradition  which  furnishes  the  real  ground  of  belief  in  a 
great  deluge,  it  must  clearly  be  given  to  the  phallic  super- 
stition ; for  I have  shown,  conclusively  as  I think,  that 
almost  the  first  event  in  the  life  of  man  there  narrated  is 

* Faber,  op.  cit.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  20. 

f Bryant,  in  his  Ancient  Mythology,  has  brought  together  a great  mass  of 
materials  bearing  on  this  question.  The  facts,  however,  are  capable  of  quite 
a different  interpretation  from  that  which  he  has  given  to  them. 

I Man's  Origin  and  Destiny,  p.  339. 


Ancient  Religions. 


67 


purely  phallic  in  its  symbolism.  Nor  is  the  account  of 
the  fall  the  only  portion  of  the  Mosaic  history  of  primitive 
man  which  belongs  to  this  category.  The  Garden  of 
Eden,  with  its  tree  of  life,  and  the  river  which  divided 
into  four  streams,  although  it  may  have  had  a secondary 
reference  to  the  traditional  place  of  Semitic  origin  to 
which  the  Hebrews  looked  back  with  regretful  longing, 
has  undoubtedly  a recondite  phallic  meaning.  It  must 
be  so  if  the  explanation  I have  given  of  the  myth  of  the 
fall  be  correct,  since  the  two  are  intimately  connected, 
and  the  garden  * is  essential  to  the  succeeding  catastro- 
phe. f 

The  priority  of  the  phallic  superstition  over  “arkism,” 
is  proved,  moreover,  by  the  undoubted  fact  that,  even  in 
the  traditions  of  the  race  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the 
precise  details  of  the  incidents  accompanying  the  deluge, 
the  phallic  deitiefs  of  the  Hamitico-Semites  are  genealogi- 
cally placed  long  before  the  occurrence  of  this  event. 
The  Semitic  deity  Seth  is,  according  to  one  table,  the 
semi-divine  first  ancestor  of  the  Semites.  Bunsen  has 
shown  clearly,  also,  that  several  of  the  antediluvian  descen- 
dants of  the  Semitic  Adam  were  among  the  Phoenician 
deities.  Thus,  the  Carthaginians  had  a god  Yubal,  Ju- 
bal,  who  would  appear  to  have  been  the  sun-god  Aescu- 
lapius, called  “ the  fairest  of  the  gods  ; ” and  so  also  “ we 
read  in  a Phoenician  inscription  Ju-Baal,  i.e.,  beauty  of 
Baal,  which  Movers  ingeniously  interprets  SEsculapius- 
Asmun-Jubal.”  Here,  then,  adds  Bunsen,  “ is  another 
old  Semitic  name  attached  to  a descendant  of  Lamekh, 
together  with  Adah,  Zillah,  and  Naamah.”;}:  Hadah, 

the  wife  of  Lamekh  as  well  as  of  Esau,  the  Phoenician 
Usov,  is  identified  with  the  goddess  worshipped  at  Baby- 

* Compare  this  -with  the  figurative  description  of  the  garden  of  delights  of 
“ The  Song  of  Songs.” 

I The  Hebrew  term  GN,  or  garden,  appears  to  be  closely  related  to  the 
preek  word  ywr ;,  guns,  or  woman.  Indeed,  in  the  ancient  languages  the 
former  is  used  as  a metaphor  for  the  latter.  See  Inman’s  Ancient  Faiths 
Embodied  in  Ancient  Names , vol.  i.,  p.  52  ; vol.  ii.,  p.  553. 

X Egypt,  vol.  iv„  p.  257. 


68 


Phallism  in 


Ion  as  Hera  (Juno),  and,  notwithstanding  Sir  Gardner 
Wilkinson’s  dictum  to  the  contrary,  her  names,  Hera, 
Hadah,  point  to  the  connection  with  the  Egyptian  Her 
Her , or  Hathor,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Seb  and  Netpe, 
as  Hera  was  the  daughter  of  Cronus  and  Rhea.  The 
name  of  the  god  Kiynn , or  Kivan , who  was  worshipped 
by  the  Hebrews,  and  who  in  Syria  was  said  to  devour 
children,  is  connected  with  the  root  kun,  to  erect,  and 
therefore  doubtless  with  the  antediluvian  Kain  or  Kevan. 
Kon,  derived  from  the  same  root,  was,  according  to  Bun- 
sen, a Phoenician  designation  of  Saturn.*  Even  the 
great  Carthaginian  god  Melekh , who  was  also  held  in 
universal  honor  throughout  all  Phoenicia,  appears,  al- 
though Bunsen  does  not  thus  identify  him,  to  be  no  other 
than  Lamekh,  the  father  of  Noah. f Ewald,  indeed,  says 
that  both  Lamekh  and  Enoch  were  gods  or  demi-gods, 
and  that  Methuselah  was  a sort  of  Mars,  while  Mahahal-el 
was  a god  of  light,  and  Jareda  a god  of  the  lowland  or  of 
the  water.  J 

The  priority  of  the  phallic  superstition  over  Arkism, 
or  rather  the  existence  of  that  superstition  before  the  for- 
mation of  the  deluge-legend,  is  proved,  moreover,  by 
the  agreement  of  this  legend  with  the  myth  of  Osiris  and 
Isis  in  its  primitive  form,  while  Typhon  (Seth)  was  hon- 
ored by  the  Egyptians  as  a great  god.§  Bunsen  fixes 
the  origin  of  this  myth  in  its  amended  form  so  late  as  the 
thirteenth  or  fourteenth  century  B.C.||  In  the  face  of 
this  agreement  we  can  only  suppose  the  myth  and  the 
deluge-legend  to  have  had  the  same  basis — a basis  which, 
from  the  very  circumstances  of  the  case,  must  be  purely 
“phallic.”  This  explanation  is  the  only  one  which  is 

* Egypt,  p.  209. 

f This  notion  furnishes  an  easy  explanation,  founded  on  the  human  sacri- 
fices to  the  Phoenician  deity,  of  the  curious  verse  in  Genesis  as  to  the  avenging 
of  Lamekh.  [The  Lamekh  here  referred  to  was  not  father  of  Noah.  Com- 
pare Genesis  iv.  18-24,  with  v-  25-29.] 

X Op.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  266-7. 

§ For  explanation  of  this  myth,  see  Bunsen’s  Egypt , vol.  iii.,  p.  437. 

| Ditto,  p.  413. 


Ancient  Religions. 


69 


consistent  with  a peculiarity  in  the  Hebrew  legend,  which 
is  an  insurmountable  objection  to  its  reception  as  the 
expression  of  a literal  fact.  We  are  told  by  the  Mosaic 
narrative  that  Jehovah  directed  Noah  to  take  with  him 
into  the  Ark  “ of  fowls  after  their  kind,  and  of  cattle  after 
their  kind,  of  every  creeping  thing  of  the  earth  after  his 
kind,  two  of  every  sort.”  Now,  according  to  the  ordi- 
nary acceptation  of  the  legend,  this  passage  expresses  a 
simple  absurdity,  even  on  the  hypothesis  of  a partial 
deluge.  If,  however,  we  read  the  narrative  in  a phallic 
sense,  and  by  the  Ark  understand  the  sacred  argha  of 
Hindu  mythology,  the  Yoni  of  Parvati,  which,  like  the 
moon  in  Zoroastrian  teaching,  carries  in  itself  the  germs 
of  all  things,  we  see  the  full  propriety  of  what  otherwise 
is  incomprehensible.  As  ev  ap^y,  \en  arc  he ] the  Elohim 
created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  so  in  the  Ark  were 
the  seeds  of  all  things  preserved  that  they  might  again 
cover  the  earth.  Taken  in  this  sense,  we  see  the  reason 
of  the  curious  analogy  which  exists  in  various  points  be- 
tween the  Hebrew  legends  of  the  creation  and  of  the 
deluge  ; this  analogy  being  one  of  the  grounds  on  which 
the  hypothesis  of  the  Great  Father  as  the  central  idea  of 
all  mythologies  has  been  based.  Thus,  the  primeval  ship, 
the  navigation  of  which  is  ascribed  to  the  .mythological 
being,  is  not  the  ark  of  Noah  or  Osiris,  or  the  vessel  of 
the  Phoenician  Kabiri.  It  was  the  moon,  the  ship  of  the 
sun,  in  which  his  seed  is  supposed  to  be  hidden  until  it 
bursts  forth  in  new  life  and  power.  The  fact  that  the 
moon  was  in  early  mythologies  a male  deity  almost  neces- 
sitates, however,  that  there  should  have  been  another 
origin  for  the  sacred  vessel  of  Osiris.  This  we  have  in 
the  Hastoreth-A^r/zrtzV/z,  the  cow-goddess,  whose  horns 
represent  the  lunar  ark,  and  who,  without  doubt,  was  a 
more  primitive  deity  than  the  moon-goddess  herself.* 
The  most  primitive  type  of  all,  however,  is  that  of  the 

* Want  of  space  prevents  me  from  tracing  the  developments  which  the 
primeval  goddess  of  fecundity  underwent ; but  to  the  idea  embodied  in  her 
may  be  traced  nearly  all  the  female  deities  of  antiquity. 


;o 


Phallism  in 


argha  or yoni  of  the  Indian  Iswara,  which,  from  its  name, 
was  supposed  to  have  been  turned  into  a dove.*  Thus, 
in  Noah  and  the  Ark,  as  in  Osiris  and  the  Moon,  we  see 
simply  the  combination  of  the  male  and  female  elements, 
as  they  are  still  represented  in  the  Hindu  lingam.  The 
introduction  of  the  dove  into  the  myth  is  a curious  con- 
firmation of  this  view.  For,  this  bird,  which,  as  “ the 
emblem  of  love  and  fruitfulness,”  was  “ consecrated  to 
Venus  under  all  her  different  names  at  Babylon,  in  Syria, 
Palestine,  and  Greecef  which  was  the  national  banner- 
sign  of  the  Assyrians,  as  of  the  earlier  Scythic  empire, 
whose  founders,  according  to  Hindu  tradition,  took  the 
name  of  Ionim  or  Yoniyas , and  which  attended  on  Janus, 
a diluvian  “ God  of  opening  and  shutting,”  was  simply  a 
type  of  “ the  Yoni  or  Jonah, J;  or  navicular  feminine  prin- 
ciple,” which  was  said  to  have  assumed  the  form  of  a 
ship  and  a dove.§ 

PHALLISM  IN  THE  MODERN  RELIGIONS. 

In  bringing  this  paper  to  a close,  I would  refer  shortly 
to  what  may  be  called  the  modern  religions — Brahminism, 
Buddhism,  and  Christianity — seeing  that  these  still  exist 
as  the  faiths  of  great  peoples.  As  to  the  first  of  these,  it 
may  be  thought  that  its  real  character  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained from  the  present  condition  of  Hindu  belief.  It  is 
said  that  the  religion  of  the  Vedas  is  very  different  from 
that  of  the  Puranas,  which  have  taken  their  place.  It 
should  be  remembered,  however,  that  these  books  profess 
to  reproduce  old  doctrine,  the  word  “ Purana”  itself 
meaning  old , and  that  Puranas  are  referred  to  in  one  of 

* Faber,  op  cit.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  246. 

J Kenrick’s  Phoenicia , p.  307. 

t The  story  of  Jonah,  the  HJV.  dove  or  symbol  of  femininity,  going  to 
Joppa,  a seaport  where  Dag-on  the  fish-god  was  worshipped,  and  having 
entered  a ship  is  swallowed  by  a Ceto  or  great  fish,  betrays  a suspicious  rela- 
tionship to  the  same  cultus.  The  fish  was  revered  at  Joppa  as  the  dove  was 
at  Nineveh.  Was  there  an  esoteric  meaning? — Ed. 

§ Faber’s  op.  cit .,  and  Bryant’s  Ancient  Mythology , ii.,  pp.  317  et  seq. 


7 1 


Ancient  Religions. 

the  Upanishads,  while  the  Tantras , which  contain  the 
principles  of  the  Sacti  Pnja,  and  which  are,  as  yet,  almost 
unknown  to  Europeans,  are  considered  by  the  Brahmans  to 
be  more  ancient  than  the  Puranas  themselves.*  The  origin 
of  the  ideas  contained  in  these  books  is  a difficult  question. 
The  germs  of  both  Vishnu-worship  and  Siva-worship  ap- 
pear to  be  found  in  the  Vedas, f and  are  undoubtedly  re- 
ferred to  by  the  Mahabharata.^;  I am  inclined  to  think 
with  Mr.  Fergusson  and  other  late  writers  that  they  are 
only  indirectly  sprung  from  the  primitive  Hinduism.  The 
similarity  between  Sivaism  and  the  Santal  worship  of  the 
Great  Mountain,  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Hunter,  is  very  re- 
markable, and  this  analogy  is  strengthened  by  intermix- 
ture in  both  cases  with  river-worship. § There  is  no 

doubt  that  the  Great  Mountain  is  simply  a name  for  the 
phallic  emblem,  which  is  the  chief  form  under  which  Siva 
is  represented  in  the  numerous  temples  at  Benares  dedi- 
cated to  his  honor. 

SERPENT-WORSHIP  A VISPINAVIC  CUSTOM. 

Considering  the  position  occupied  by  the  serpent  as  a 
symbol  of  life,  and,  indirectly,  of  the  male  power,  we 
should  expect  to  find  its  worship  connected  to  some  ex- 
tent with  that  of  Siva.  Mr.  Fergusson,  however,  declares 
that  it  is  not  so ; and,  although  this  statement  requires 
some  qualification,!  yet  it  is  certain  that  the  serpent  is 

* On  this  question,  see  the  Memoirs  of  the  Anthropological  Society  of 
London,  vol.  ii.,  p.  265  ; also  “Sketch  of  the  Religious  Sects  of  the  Hindus,” 
in  the  Asiatic  Researches , vol.  xvii.  (1832),  216  et  seq. 

f This  question  is  fully  considered  by  Dr.  Muir,  in  his  Sanskrit  Texts , part 
iv.,  p.  54  et  seq. 

$ Ditto,  pp.  161,  343. 

§ Rural  Bengal , pp.  152,  187  et  seq.  This  association  of  the  mountain 
and  the  river  is  found  also  in  the  Persian  Khordah-Avesta.  See  (5)  Abun- 
Yasht,  v.  1-3. 

U See  Tree  and  Serpent  Worship , p.  70 ; also  Sherring’s  Benares,  pp.  75, 
89.  Here  the  serpent  is  evidently  symbolical  of  life.  In  the  Mahabharata, 
Mahadeva  is  described  as  having  “ a girdle  of  serpents,  ear-rings  of  serpents, 
a sacrificial  cord  of  serpents,  and  an  outer  garment  of  serpent’s  skin.”  (Dr. 
Muir,  op.  cit.,  part  iv.,  p.  160.) 


72 


Phallism  in 


also  intimately  associated  with  Vishnu.  In  explanation 
of  this  fact,  Mr.  Fergusson  remarks:  “The  Vaishnava 
religion  is  derived  from  a group  of  faiths  in  which  the  ser- 
pent always  played  an  important  part.  The  eldest  branch 
of  the  family  was  the  Naga  worship,  pure  and  simple  ; 
out  of  that  arose  Buddhism,  . . . and  on  its  decline  two 
faiths — at  first  very  similar  to  one  another — rose  from  its 
ashes,  the  Jaina  and  the  Vaishnava.”  The  serpent  is 
almost  always  found  in  Jaina  temples  as  an  object  of  wor- 
ship, while  it  appears  everywhere  in  Vaishnava  tradition.* * * § 
But  elsewhere  Mr.  Fergusson  tells  us  that,  although  Bud- 
dhism owed  its  establishment  to  Naga  tribes,  yet  its  sup- 
porters repressed  the  worship  of  the  serpent,  elevating 
tree-worship  in  its  place,  f 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  .the  Vaishnavas,  who 
are  worshippers  of  the  female  power, J and  who  hate  the 
lingam,  can  yet  so  highly  esteem  the  serpent,  which  has, 
indirectly  at  least,  reference  to  the  male  principle.  Per- 
haps, however,  we  may  find  an  explanation  in  Mr.  Fer- 
gusson’s  own  remarks  as  to  the  character  and  development 
of  Buddhism.  According  to  him,  Buddhism  was  chiefly 
influential  among  Naga  tribes,  and  “ was  little  more  than 
a revival  of  the  coarser  superstitions  of  the  aboriginal 
races, § purified  and  refined  by  the  application  of  Aryan 
morality,  and  elevated  by  doctrines  borrowed  from  the  in- 
tellectual superiority  of  the  Aryan  races.”  ||  As  to  its  de- 

* Op.  cit.,  p.  70. 

f Ditto,  p.  62. 

| Mr.  Sellon,  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London, 
vol.  ii.,  p.  273. 

§ It  should  not  he  forgotten  that  the  Vedic  religion  was  not  that  of  all  the 
Aryan  tribes  of  India.  (See  Muir,  op.  cit.,  part  ii.,  p.  377,  368-383) ; and 
it  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  some  of  them  retained  a more  primitive 
faith,  Buddhism  or  Rudraism  ; i. e. , Sivaism.  See  also  Baldwin’s  Prehistoric 
Nations. 

||  Op.  cit.,  p.  62.  To  come  to  a proper  conclusion  on  this  important  point, 
it  is  necessary  to  consider- the  real  position  occupied  by  Gautama  in  relation  to 
Brahminism.  Burnouf  says  that  he  differed  from  his  adversaries  only  in  the 
definition  he  gives  of  Salvation  ( du  saint).  ( Introduction  d P Histoire  du 
Buddhisme  Indien,  p.  155.) 


FiS.L 


THE  SACRED  LOTUS-FLOWER. 

NYMPHAEA  NELUMBO. 

THE  FEMALE  SYMBOL  IN  EGYPT,  INDIA,  AND  EASTERN  ASIA. 


Ancient  Religions.  73 

velopment,  the  sculptures  on  the  Sanchi  Topes  show  that 
at  about  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  although  the 
dagoba , the  chakra , or  wheel,  the  tree,  and  other  emblems, 
were  worshipped,  the  serpent  hardly  appears  ; while,  at 
Amravati,  three  centuries  later,  this  animal  had  become 
equal  in  importance  to  Buddha  himself.'"  Moreover, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  lingam  was  an  emblem  of 
Buddha,  as  was  also  the  lotus,  which  represents  the  same 
idea — the  conjunction  of  the  male  and  female  elements, 
although  in  a higher  sense  perfect  wisdom. f The  asso- 
ciation of  the  same  ideas  is  seen  in  the  noted  prayer,  Om 
mani padmi  hum  (“  Om,  the  Jewel  in  the  Lotus  ”),  which 
refers  to  the  birth  of  Padmipani  from  the  sacred  lotus- 
flower,^;  but  also,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  to  the  phallus 
and  the  yoni.  We  may  suppose,  therefore,  that,  whatever 
the  moral  doctrine  taught  by  Gautama,  he  used  the  old 
phallic  symbols, § although,  it  may  be,  with  a peculiar  ap- 
plication. If  the  opinion  expressed  by  Mr.  Fergusson, 
as  to  the  introduction  into  India  of  the  Vaishnava  faith 
by  an  early  immigrant  race,  be  correct,  it  must  have 
existed  in  the  time  of  Gautama  ; and,  indeed,  the  Ionism 
of  Western  Asia  is  traditionally  connected  with  India  it- 
self at  a very  early  date,||  although  probably  the  early 
centre  of  Ion-ism,  the  worship  of  the  Dove,  or  Yoni,  was, 
as  Bryant  supposes,  in  Chaldea. We  see  no  trace,  how- 
ever, in  Buddhism  proper  of  Sacti  Pnja,  and  I would  sug- 
gest that,  instead  of  abolishing  either,  Gautama  substi- 
tuted for  the  separate  symbols  of  the  linga  and  the  yoni,  the 
association  of  the  two  in  the  lingam.  If  this  were  so,  we 
can  well  understand  how,  on  the  fall  of  Buddhism,  Siva- 
worship'**  may  have  retained  this  compound  symbol,  with 

* Fergusson,  op.  cit.,  pp.  67,  222,  223. 

I See  Guigniaut,  op.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  293,  160  note. 

% Schlagenweit,  Buddhisjn  i?i  Thibet,  p.  120. 

§ These  are  figured  in  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  xviii. 

II  Higgins’s  Anacalypsis,  vol.  i.,  p.  332  et  seq.  See  also  p.  342  et  seq. 

1 Op.  cit.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  1 et  seq.,  25. 

**  Mr.  Hunter  points  out  a connection  between  Sivaism  and  Buddhism. 
Op.  cit.,  p.  194. 

5 


74 


Phallism  in 


many  of  the  old  Naga  ideas,  although  with  little  actual 
reference  to  the  serpent  itself  other  than  as  a symbol  of 
life  and  power  ; while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Vaishnavas 
may  have  reverted  to  the  primitive  worship  of  the  female 
principle,  retaining  a remembrance  of  the  early  serpent 
associations  in  the  use  of  the  sesha,  the  heavenly  Naga 
with  seven  heads,*  figured  on  the  Amravati  sculptures. 
It  is  possible,  however,  that  there  maybe  another  ground 
of  opposition  between  the  followers  of  Yishnu  and  Siva. 
Mr.  Fergusson  points  out  that,  notwithstanding  the  pecu- 
liarly phallic  symbolism  of  the  latter  deity,  “ the  worship 
of  Siva  is  too  severe,  too  stern,  for  the  softer  emotions  of 
love,  and  all  his  temples  are  quite  free  from  any  allusion 
to  it.”  It  is  far  different  with  the  Vaishnavas,  whose 
temples  “ are  full  of  sexual  feelings,  generally  expressed 
in  the  grossest  terms.”  f 

Siva,  in  fact,  is  especially  a god  of  intellect,  typified  by 
his  being  three-eyed,  and,  although  terrible  as  the  resist- 
less destroyer,  yet  the  re-creator  of  all  things  in  perfect  wis- 
dom ; ^ while  Vishnu  has  relation  rather  to  the  lower  type 
of  wisdom  which  was  distinctive  of  the  Assyrians  among 
ancient  peoples,  and  which  has  so  curious  a connection 
with  the  female  principle.  Hence  the  shell,  or  conch,  is 
peculiar  to  Vishnu,  while  the  linga  belongs  to  Siva.§  Gau- 
tama combined  the  simpler  feminine  phase  of  religion 
with  the  more  masculine  intellectual  type,  symbolizing 
this  union  by  the  lingam  and  other  analogous  emblems. 
The  followers  of  Siva  have,  however,  adopted  the  com- 
bined symbol  in  the  place  of  the  linga  alone,  thus  ap- 

* See  Mr.  Fergusson,  op.  cit.,  p.  70.  The  serpent  is  connected  with  Vish- 
nuism as  a symbol  of  wisdom  rather  than  of  life. 

\ Op.  cit.,  p.  71. 

Hence  Siva,  as  Sambhu,  is  the  patron  deity  of  the  Brahmanic  order  ; 
and  the  most  intellectual  Hindus  of  the  present  day  are  to  be  found  among 
his  followers.  (See  Wilson,  op.  cit.,  p.  171.  Sherring’s  Sacred  City  of  the 
Hindus,  p.  146  et  seq. ) 

§ The  bull  of  Siva  has  reference  to  strength  and  speed  rather  than  to  fe- 
cundity ; while  the  Rig-Veda  refers  to  Vishnu  as  the  framer  of  the  womb,  al- 
though elsewhere  he  is  described  as  the  fecundator.  (See  Muir,  op.  cit.,  part 
iv.,  pp.  244,  292,  also  pp.  64,  83.) 


Ancient  Religions. 


75 


proaching  more  nearly  than  the  Vaishnavas  to  the  idea 
of  the  founder  of  modern  Buddhism.  Gautama  himself, 
nevertheless,  was  most  probably  only  the  restorer  of  an 
older  faith,  according  to  which  perfect  wisdom  was  to  be 
found  only  in  the  typical  combination  of  the  male  and  fe- 
male principles  in  nature.  The  real  explanation  of  the 
connection  between  Buddhism  and  Sivaism  has  perhaps, 
however,  yet  to  be  given.*  The  worship  of  the  serpent- 
god  is  not  unknown,  even  at  the  present  day,  in  the  very 
stronghold  of  Sivaism, f reminding  us  of  the  early  spread 
of  Buddhism  among  Naga  tribes.  In  the  “crescent  sur- 
mounted by  a pinnacle,  similar  to  the  pointed  end  of  a 
spear,”  which  decorates  the  roofs  of  the  Tibetan  monas- 
teries,^: we,  undoubtedly,  have  a reproduction  of  the  so- 
called  trident  of  Siva.  This  instrument  is  given  also  to 
Sani,  the  Hindu  Saturn,  who  is  represented  as  encompas- 
sed by  two  serpents, § and  hence  we  may  well  suppose  the 
pillar-symbol  of  this  primeval  deity  to  be  reproduced  in 
the  linga  of  the  Indian  phallic  god.  j{ 

But  the  pillar-symbol  is  not  wanting  to  Buddhism  it- 
self. The  columns  said  to  have  been  raised  by  Asoka  have 
a reference  to  the  inscribed  pillars  of  Seth.  The  remains 
of  an  ancient  pillar,  supposed  to  be  a Buddhist  Lat , is  still 
to  be  seen  at  Benares  ;^[  the  word  Lat  being  merely  another 
form  of  the  name  Tct , Set,  or  Sat,  given  to  the  Phoenician 
or  Semitic  deity.  In  the  central  pillar  of  the  so-called  Dru- 
idical  circles,  we  have,  doubtless,  a reference  to  the  same 
primitive  superstition,  the  idea  intended  to  be  represented 
being  the  combination  of  the  male  and  female  principles.** 

* This  question  has  been  considered  by.Bumouf,  op.  cit.,  p.  547  et  seq. 
But  see  also  Hodgson’s  Buddhism  in  Nepaul,  and  Paper  in  the  Journal  of 
the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  18  (i860),  p.  395  et  seq. 

f See  Sherring,  op.  cit.,  p.  89. 

\ Schlagenweit,  op.  cit.,  p.  181. 

§ Maurice’s  Indian  Antiquities,  vol.  vii. , p.  566. 

| As  to  the  identity  of  Siva  and  Saturn,  see  Guigniaut,  op.  cit.,  vol.  i.,  p. 
167  note.  Kivan,  a name  of  Saturn,  is  really  the  same  word  as  Siva. 

T Sherring,  op.  cit.,  p.  305  et  seq. 

**  It  should  be  noted  that  many  of  the  so-called  “circles”  are  in  reality 
elliptical. 


76 


Phallism  in 


PHALLISM  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  SYMBOLS. 

In  conclusion,  it  must  be  said  that  Christianity  itself  is 
certainly  not  without  the  phallic  element.  Reference  may 
be  made  to  the  important  place  taken  in  Christian  dogma 
by  the  “ fall  — which  I have  shown  to  have  had  a purely 
“phallic”  foundation — and  to  the  peculiar  position  as- 
signed to  Mary,  as  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God.*  It  must 
not  be  forgotten,  however,  that,  whatever  may  have  been 
the  primitive  idea  on  which  these  dogmas  are  based,  it  had 
received  a totally  fresh  aspect,  at  the  hands  of  those  from 
whom  the  founders  of  Christianity  received  it.f  As  to  sym- 
bols, too,  these  were  employed  by  the  Christians  in  the  later 
signification  given  to  them  by  the  followers  of  the  ancient 
faiths.  Thus,  the  fish-  and  the  cross-symbols  originally 
embodied  the  idea  of  generation,  but  afterwards  that  of 
life,  and  it  was  in  this  sense  that  they  were  applied  to 
Christ. £ The  most  evidently  phallic  representation  used 
by  the  Christian  monographers  is  undoubtedly  the  aureole 
or  vcssica.  This  was  generally  elliptical  in  form,  and  con- 
tained the  figure  of  Christ  ; Mary  herself,  however,  being 
sometimes  represented  in  the  aureole,  glorified  as  Jesus 
Christ. § Probably  the  nimbus , also,  is  of  phallic  signifi- 
cance ; for,  although  generally  circular,  it  was  sometimes 
triangular,  square,  etc. [|  The  name  of  Jehovah  is  in- 
scribed within  a radiating  triangle. Didron  gives  a 
representation  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  with  a circular 
nimbus,  surmounted  by  two  sunflowers,  emblems  of  the 
sun,  an  idea  which,  says  Didron,  “ reminds  us  of  the 
Egyptian  figures,  from  the  heads  of  which  two  lotus- 
* On  this  subject,  see  Higgins’s  Anacalypsis,  vol.  i.,  p.  315  et  seq. 
f We  must  look  to  the  esoteric  teaching  of  Mithraism  for  the  origin  and 
explanation  of  much  of  primitive  Christian  dogma. 

j;  The  serpent  elevated  in  the  Wilderness  is-  said  to  be  typical  of  Christ. 
(John  iii.  14,  15).  A Gnostic  sect  taught  that  Christ  was  Seth. 

§ Didron’s  Christian  Iconography  (Bohn),  pp.  272,  286. 

| It  is  a curious  fact  that  Buddhist  deities  are  often  represented  in  the 
Vessica  and  with  the  nimbus.  (See  Hodgson’s  figures,  plates  v.  and  vi.  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  18.) 

1 Didron,  pp.  27,  231. 


Ancient  Religions.  77 

flowers  rise  in  a similar  manner.”*  There  is  also  a curi- 
ous representation,  in  this  work,  of  the  divine  hand,  with 
the  thumb  and  two  forefingers  outstretched,  resting  on  a 
cruciform  nimbus  (p.  215).  In  Egypt,  the  hand  having 
the  fingers  thus  placed  was  a symbol  of  Isis,  and  from  its 
accompaniments,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  notwithstand- 
ing the  mesmeric  character  ascribed  to  it  by  Ennemoser,f 
that  it  had  an  essentially  phallic  origin,  although  it  may 
ultimately  have  been  used  to  signify  life. 

There  can  be  no  question,  however,  that,  whatever  may 
be  thought  of  its  symbols,:}:  the  fundamental  basis  of  Chris- 

* Didron,  p.  29. 

\ History  of  Magic  (Bohn),  vol.  i. , p.  253  et  seq. 

% The  “Black  Virgins”  of  the  French  cathedrals  prove,  when  examined 
critically,  to  be  basalt  figures  of  the  goddess  Isis.  The  Virgin  Mary  succeeded 
to  her  form,  titles,  symbols,  rites,  and  ceremonies.  Thus  the  devotees  of  Isis 
carried  into  the  new  priesthood  the  former  badges  of  their  profession,  the  ob- 
ligation to  celibacy,  the  tonsure,  and  the  surplice.  The  sacred  image  still 
moves  in  procession  as  when  Juvenal  laughed  at  it — vi.  530 — “ grege  linigero 
circumdatus  et  grege  calvo ” — escorted  by  the  tonsured,  surpliced  train.  Her 
proper  title,  Domina,  the  exact  translation  of  the  Sanscrit  Isi,  survives,  with 
a slight  change  in  the  modern  Madonna.  By  a singular  permutation,  the 
flower  borne  by  each,  the  lotus,  ancient  emblem  of  fecundity,  now  renamed 
the  lily,  is  interpreted  as  significant  of  the  opposite  quality.  The  tinkling  sis- 
trum,  a sound  so  well  pleasing  to  the  Egyptian  goddess,  is  replaced  by  that 
most  hideous  of  noises,  the  clattering  bell.  The  latter  instrument,  however, 
came  directly  from  the  Buddhist  religious  usages,  where  it  forms  as  essential  an 
element  as  of  yore  in  early  Celtic  Christianity,  when  the  holy  bell  was  the 
actual  type  of  the  Godhead  to  the  new  converts.  The  bell  in  its  present  form 
was  unknown  to  the  ancients  ; its  normal  shape  is  Indian,  and  the  first  real 
bell-founders  were  the  Buddhist  Chinese.  Again,  relic-worship  seems  from  the 
third  century  to  have  been  virtually  the  present  form  of  Christianity  in  the 
East.  A fragment  of  the  bone  of  a Buddha  is  indispensable  in  the  founding 
of  a temple  of  that  faith. 

It  is  astonishing  how  much  of  the  Egyptian  and  the  second-hand  Indian 
symbolism  passed  over  into  the  usages  of  the  following  times.  The  high  cap 
and  hooked  staff  of  the  god  became  the  bishop’s  mitre  and  crosier  ; the  term 
nun  is  purely  Egyptian,  and  bore  its  present  meaning ; the  erect  oval,  symbol 
of  the  Female  Principle  of  Nature,  became  the  Vesica  Piscis,  and  a frame  for 
divine  things  ; the  Crux  Ansata,  testifying  the  union  of  the  Male  and  Female 
Principle  in  the  most  obvious  manner,  and  denoting  fecundity  and  abundance, 
is  transformed,  by  a simple  inversion,  into  the  Orb  surmounted  by  the  Cross, 
and  the  ensign  of  royalty.  ( Gnostics  and  their  Remains,  by  C.  W.  King, 
PP-  7G  72-) 


78  Phallism  in  Ancient  Religions. 

tianity  is  more  purely  “ phallic  ” than  that  of  any  other 
religion  how  existing.  I have  referred  to  the  presence  in 
Hebraic  theology  of  an  idea  of  God — that  of  a Father — 
antagonistic  to  the  Phoenician  notion  of  the  “ Lord  of 
Heaven.”  We  have  the  same  idea  repeated  in  Christ’s 
teaching,  its  distinctive  characteristic  being  the  recognition 
of  God  as  the  Universal  Father,  the  Great  Parent  of  Man- 
kind, who  had  sent  His  son  into  the  world  that  he  might 
reconcile  it  unto  Himself.  It  is  in  the  character  of  a for- 
giving parent  that  Christians  are  taught  to  view  God,  when 
He  is  not  lost  sight  of  in  the  presence  of  Christ.  The 
emotional  nature  of  Christian  faith,  indeed,  shows  how 
intimately  it  was  related  to  the  older  faiths  which  had  a 
phallic  basis.  In  Christianity,  we  see  the  final  expression 
of  the  primitive  worship  of  the  father  as  the  head  of  the 
family,  the  generator,  as  the  result  of  an  instinctive  rea- 
soning process  leading  up  from  the  particular  to  the  uni- 
versal, with  which,  however,  the  dogma  of  the  “ fall  ” and 
its  consequences — deduced  so  strangely  from  a phallic  le- 
gend— have  been  incorporated.  The  “ phallic  ” is,  indeed, 
the  only  foundation  on  which  an  emotional  religion  can  be 
based.  As  a religion  of  the  emotions,  therefore,  the  po- 
sition of  Christianity  is  perfectly  unassailable.  As  a sys- 
tem of  rational  faith,  however,  it  is  far  different ; and  the 
tendency  of  the  present  age  is  just  the  reverse  of  that 
which  took  place  among  the  Hebrews — -the  substitution  of 
a Heavenly  King  for  a Divine  Father.  In  fact,  modern 
science  is  doing  its  best  to  effect  for  primitive  fetishism, 
or  demon-worship,  what  Christianity  has  done  for  phallic 
worship — generalize  the  powers  of  nature  and  make  of 
God  a Great  Unknowable  Being,  who,  like  the  Elo- 
him  of  the  Mosaic  cosmogony,  in  some  mysterious  man- 
ner, causes  all  things  to  appear  at  a word.  This  cannot 
be,  however,  the  real  religion  of  the  future.  If  God  is  to 
be  worshipped  at  all,  the  Heavenly  King  and  Divine 
Father  must  be  combined  in  a single  term  ; and  he  must 
be  viewed,  not  as  the  unknowable  cause  of  being,  but  as 
the  Great  Source  of  all  being,  who  may  be  known  in  na- 
ture— the  expression  of  his  life  and  energy. 


SAR-ISWATI,  CONSORT  OF  BRAHMA,  WITH  HER  PEACOCK  AND  ATTENDANT. 


APPENDIX. 


To  many  persons,  doubtless,  the  foregoing  statements 
of  Messrs.  Wake  and  Westropp  appear  to  be  grossly 
exaggerated  if  not  absolutely  preposterous.  It  seems  to 
them  almost  incredible  that  such  ideas  and  customs  should 
obtain  ascendancy  among  any  people,  and  especially  in 
the  character  of  religious  mysteries.  Even  classical 
readers  participate  in  this  skepticism.  They  are  unwilling 
to  believe  that,  except  in  places  notoriously  immoral,  like 
Pompeii  or  Lampsacus,  the  use  of  sexual  representations 
in  common  life  would  be  countenanced.  Nevertheless,  a 
careful  review  of  the  evidence  will  assure  us  of  their  mis- 
take. We  must  not  always  expect  shameless  manners  to 
attend  immorality.  Prudery  and  pruriency  are  frequently 
companions,  equally  impure  and  cowardly ; and  in  all 
scientific  investigation  they  should  be  disregarded  rather 
than  conciliated. 

The  careful  student  of  the  Old  Testament  is  amazed  at 
the  antagonism  apparent  between  the  examples  of  the 
Hebrew  patriarchs  and  the  teachings  of  the  prophets,  in 
regard  to  the  erection  of  monolithic  pillars  and  other 
structures,  for  votive  memorials  and  other  religious  pur- 
poses. It  is  likewise  hard  to  distinguish  a difference  be- 
tween the  customs  of  the  early  Israelites  and  those  of  the 
nations  around  them.  The  similarity  is  observable  in 
their  religious  as  well  as  their  political  institutions.  Their 
rulers  were  at  first  patriarchs  or  sheiks,  as  among  the 
Arabs  ; then  they  had  princes  of  tribes,  like  the  lords  of 
the  Philistines,  and  after  that  sujfetes,  or  judges,  like  the 
Carthaginians  ; concluding  finally  with  kings,  “ like  all  the 
nations.”  They  had  the  same  language  and  alphabet  as 
the  Phoenicians  from  the  days  of  Moses.  As,  despite  the 


8o 


Appendix. 


tenth  chapter  of  Genesis,  the  ethnographers  persist  in 
classing  the  latter  in  the  Semitic  group,  there  is  little  rea- 
son given  for  not  including  both  peoples  under  one  ethnic 
head. 

The  Phoenicians  and  Pelasgians  or  Ionians  of  Asia  Minor 
were  the  most  adventurous  nations  of  the  time.  They 
colonized  Greece,  Italy,  Spain,  and  Africa,  and  the  former 
extended  their  enterprises  to  the  countries  on  the  Atlantic 
Ocean.  Their  gods  Baal  or  Hercules,  and  Astarte  or 
Venus,  were  worshipped  wherever  they  went.  So  uni- 
form were  the  religious  emblems  and  customs,  that  a de- 
scription of  the  usages  of  one  people  very  nearly  describes 
them  all.  The  Pelasgians  of  Ionia  had  different  deity- 
names,  like  Dionysus  or  Bacchus,  Hermes,  Aphrodite  ; 
but  they  had  like  customs,  and  the  Cabeirian  Mysteries, 
which  fixed  the  institutions  of  religion,  were  common  to 
both. 

The  Hermaic  statue,  consisting  of  a human  head  placed 
upon  an  inverted  obelisk,  with  a phallus,  was  the  recog- 
nized simulacrum  of  Baal  in  the  Bible.  Associated  with 
it  was  the  Venus  or  Aphrodite,  a female  draped  figure 
terminating  below  in  the  same  square  form.  This  was 
generally  of  wood,  the  palm  being  preferred.  The  name 
Aspasia  is  often  inscribed  upon  these  female  images.  The 
Hermaic  and  Aphroditic  statue  were  sometimes  included 
in  one,  like  the  Hindoo  Siva  and  Bhavani,  giving  rise  to 
the  androgynous  representations. 

The  mode  of  constructing  the  Hermaic  statues  was 
derived  by  the  Greeks  from  the  Pelasgians  of  Asia  Minor. 
Herodotus  says:  “Whoever  has  been  initiated  into  the 
Mysteries  of  the  Cabeiri  will  understand  what  I mean. 
The  Samothracians  received  these  Mysteries  from  the 
Pelasgi,  who,  before  they  went  to  live  in  Attica,  were 
dwellers  in  Samothrace,  and  imparted  their  religious 
ceremonies  to  the  inhabitants.  The  Athenians,  then,  who 
were  the  first  of  all  the  Greeks  to  make  their  statues  of 
Mercury  in  this  way,  learnt  the  practice  from  the  Pelas- 
gians ; and  by  this  people  a religious  account  of  the 


Appendix.  8l 

matter  is  given,  which  is  explained  in  the  Samothracian 
Mysteries/’  * 

The  Cabeiri,  we  presume,  represented  the  divinities  of 
the  planets ; Esmun  or  the  Phoenician  Esculapius  being 
the  eighth.  The  serpent  was  his  symbol.  Kadmiel  or  Cad- 
mus was  the  same  as  Taut  or  Thoth,  the  god  of  the  steles 
or  pillar-emblems,  and  was  the  reputed  founder  of  the 
city  of  Thebes.  It  was  to  the  worship  of  these  divinities 
that  reference  was  made  by  the  author  of  The  Wisdom  of 
Solomon  : “ They  slew  their  children  in  sacrifices,  or  used 
secret  Mysteries,  or  celebrated  frantic  komuses  of  strange 
rites.”  f 

But  the  institution  of  the  Orphic  rites  and  the  Eleusi- 
nian  Mysteries  is  ascribed  by  Herodotus  to  Egyptian  in- 
fluences. “ The  rites  called  Orphic  and  Bacchic  are  in 
reality  Egyptian  and  Pythagorean  ; and  no  one  initiated 
in  these  Mysteries  can  be  buried  in  a woollen  shroud,  a 
religious  reason  being  assigned  for  the  observance.”:}: 
Melampus  introduced  into  Greece  the  name  of  Dionysus 
or  Bacchus,  the  ceremonial  of  his  worship,  and  the  pro- 
cession of  the  phallus.  “ I can  by  no  means  admit,”  says 
Herodotus,  “ that  it  is  by  mere  coincidence  that  the 
Bacchic  ceremonies  in  Greece  are  so  nearly  the  same  as 
the  Egyptian — they  would  have  been  more  Greek  in  their 
character  and  less  recent  in  their  origin.  Much  less  can 
I admit  that  the  Egyptians  borrowed  these  customs,  or 
any  other,  from  the  Greeks.  My  belief  is  that  Melampus 
got  his  knowledge  of  them  from  Cadmus  the  Tyrian,  and 
the  followers  whom  he  brought  from  Phoenicia  into  the 
country  which  is  now  called  Boeotia.”  “ The  Egyptians 
were  also  the  first  to  introduce  solemn  assemblies,  proces- 
sions, and  litanies  to  the  gods ; of  all  which  the  Greeks 

* Rawliuson’s  Herodotus,  book  ii.  51.  “The phallus  formed  an  essential 
part  of  the  symbol,  probably  because  the  divinity  represented  by  it  was  in  the 
earliest  times,  before  the  worship  of  Dionysus  was  imported  from  the  East, 
the  personification  of  the  reproductive  powers  of  nature.” — Smith's  Dictio7i- 
ary  of  Greek  and  Roman  Antiquities,  Hermai. 

•(•  Wisdom,  xiv.  23. 

\ Book  ii.  81. 


82 


Appendix. 


were  taught  the  use  by  them.”  * In  the  Dionysiac  festival 
of  Egypt,  instead  of  phalli  they  used  images  a cubit  high, 
pulled  by  strings,  which  the  women  carried  round  to  the 
villages.  A piper  headed  the  company,  and  the  women 
followed,  singing  hymns  in  honor  of  the  god.  As  in  the 
Cabeirian  Mysteries  of  Phoenicia  and  Samothrace,  a “ re- 
ligious reason  ” accounted  for  the  peculiarities  of  the 
image.  The  identity  of  Bacchus  with  the  Moloch  or  Her- 
cules of  the  Phoenicians,  and  with  the  Dionysus  of  Arabia 
and  the  Mysteries,  is  apparent. 

Both  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  however,  for  a long  time 
had  no  images.  Numa,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a Py- 
thagorean, allowed  only  the  “ eternal  fire  ” of  Vesta  as  a 
symbol  of  the  Deity.  The  earlier  temples  were  temenoi , 
or  consecrated  areas,  marked  out  by  erect  pillars  of  stone. 
In  them  were  altars,  “ great  stones,”  or  conical  statues. 
Mounds,  or  artificial  eminences,  were  also  common,  as 
representative  of  the  “ holy  hill,”  or  mount  of  assembly 
where  the  Deity  dwelt.  These  were  denominated,  by 
both  Greeks  and  Phoenicians,  benias,  or  “ high  places. ”f 

The  stele  or  pillar  came  early  to  be  used  as  the  emblem 
of  the  god  ; and,  in  like  manner,  a conical  stone,  signify- 
ing the  omphalos,  navel,  or  rounded  abdomen,  became 
the  symbol  of  the  great  Mother-Goddess.  The  service 
of  Hercules,  with  Omphale,  queen  or  goddess  of  Lydia, 
he  receiving  from  her  the  distaff,  and  she  taking  his  club 
and  lion-skin,  expresses  the  association  of  the  two  in  the 
Mysteries.  At  the  temple  of  Amun,  in  Libya,  the  emblem 
of  the  god  is  described  as  an  umbrienlum  of  immense 
size,  which  was  borne  in  a boat  or  ark,  requiring  eighty 
men  for  the  purpose.  The  boat  is  a feminine  symbol. 
At  the  temple  of  Delphi,  the  omphalos,  or  navel-stone,  is 
described  as  obtuse  in  form,  and  having  nothing  obscene  in 
appearance.  It  was  of  white  marble,  and  was  kept  in  the 
sanctuary,  carefully  wrapped  in  a white  cloth.  § The  ?iabhi, 


\ Quintus  Curtius. 

§ Strabo,  book  ix.  420. 


* Book  ii.  49,  58. 
| Ezekiel  xx.  29. 


Appendix. 


83 


or  navel  of  Vishnu,  the  Brahmin  god,  explained  in  like 
manner  as  expressive  of  the  female  organs,  is  similarly  re- 
presented. M.  Creuzer  found  among  the  ruins  of  Carthage 
a large  conical  stone,  which  he  immediately  recognized  as 
the  representation  of  Astarte.  Lajard  also  mentions  many 
smaller  cones  in  Greece,  some  of  them  bearing  the  name 
of  Aphrodite.  “ In  all  Cyprian  coins,”  he  remarks,"  may 
be  seen,  in  the  place  where  we  would  anticipate  to  find  a 
statue  of  the  goddess,  the  form  of  a conical  stone.  The 
same  is  found  placed  between  two  cypresses  under  the 
portico  o'f  the  temple  of  Astarte,  in  a temple  of  AL. iia 
Capitolina  ; but  in  this  instance  the  cone  is  crowned.  In 
another  medal,  struck  by  the  elder  Philip,  Venus  is  repre- 
sented between  two  genii,  each  of  whom  stands  upon  a 
cone  or  pillar  with  a rounded  top.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  at  Paphos  images  of  the  conical  stone  * were 
made  and  sold  as  largely  as  were  effigies  of  Diana  of  the 
Ephesians.”  f \ 

The  ancient  Arabians,  in  like  manner,  venerated  cer- 
tain conical  stones  as  symbols  of  the  goddess  A1  Uza,  or 
Alitta.  The  famous  Caaba,  or  black  stone  of  Mecca,  now 
revered  by  the  Moslems,  was  of  this  character.  The  cres- 
cent, also  the  emblem  of  the  goddess,  is  the  Mohammedan 
monogram,  contrasting  with  the  cross,  or  masculine  em- 
blem of  the  Christians,  and  almost  implies  that  the  Mus- 
sulmans are  votaries  of  the  female  divinity.  The  Scandi- 
navians also  represented  the  goddess  Disa  or  Isa  by  a 
conical  stone,  surmounted  by  a head,  analogous  to  the 
busts  of  Astarte. 

The  erect  pillar  was  common-  over  all  the  East.  It 
stood  at  the  intersection  of  roads  as  a sign  of  consecra- 

* “ The  statue  of  the  goddess  bears  no  resemblance  to  the  human  form.  It 
is  round  throughout,  broad  at  one  end,  and  gradually  tapering  to  a narrow  span 
at  the  other,  like  a goal.  The  reason  is  stated  by  Philostratus  to  be  symboli- 
cal.”— Tacitus,  book  ii. , ch.  3. 

f Acts  xix.  24,  25.  Venus  and  Diana,  instead  of  representing  the  oppos- 
ing ideas  of  virginity  and  sexual  love,  were  deities  of  like  mould,  and  per- 
sonified the  great  maternal  principle. 

I Rccherches  sur  la  Culte  de  Venus,  page  36. 


84 


Appendix. 


tion,  on  the  boundaries  of  estates,  in  and  before  temples, 
over  graves,  and  wherever  the  deities  were  venerated. 
At  Athens  was  a “ pillar  of  the  Amazon  ” or  androgynous 
Venus  ; and  Apollonius  mentions  a lithos  hieros  or  sacred 
stone  in  the  temple  of  Arez  in  Pontus,  where  the  Ama- 
zons worshipped.  Like  columns  were  common  in  Thes- 
saly, Ionia,  and  Mauritania  ; and,  indeed,  in  all  countries 
washed  by  the  sea.  The  Round  Towers  of  Ireland,  the 
great  stones  found  in  the  principal  point  of  cities  in  Eng- 
land, the  stones  of  memorial  in  all  parts  of  the  British 
Isles,  including  “Jacob’s  pillar”  transported  from  Scot- 
land by  Edward  L,  and  now  preserved  in  the  seat  of  the 
Coronation  Chair  in  Westminster  Abbey,  pertain  to  the 
same  cultus.  The  Maypoles,  common  alike  to  Britons 
and  Hindus,  are  of  one  pattern.  The  Buddhists  of 
Ceylon,  the  Sivaists  and  Lingayats  of  Hindustan,  and  the 
Zoroastrians  of  Persia,  have  these  emblems  like  their 
fellow-religionists  of  the  West. 

Nor  was  ancient  America  any  exception  to  these  cus- 
toms. A plain  cylindrical  stone  was  to  be  found  by 
every  Mexican  temple.  At  Copan  are  monoliths,  some 
of  them  in  a rough  state  and  others  sculptured.  At  Hon- 
duras is  an  “ idol  of  round  stone”  with  two  faces,  repre- 
senting the  Lord  of  Life,  which  the  Indians  adore,  offering 
blood  procured  from  the  prepuce.  In  Panuco  was  found 
in  the  temples  a phallus,  and  on  bas-reliefs  in  public 
places  were  depicted  the  sacred  membra  conjunct  a in  coitu. 
There  were  also  similar  symbols  in  Tlascala.  On  one  of 
the  phallic  pillars  at  Copan  were  also  the  emblems  relative 
to  uterine  existence,  parturition,  etc.  Juan  de  Batanzos, 
in  his  History  of  the  Incas,  an  unpublished  manuscript  in 
the  Library  ol  the  Escurial,  says  that  “ in  the  centre  of  the 
great  square  or  court  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Cuzco, 
was  a column  or  pillar  of  stone,  of  the  shape  of  a loaf  of 
sugar,  pointed  at  the  top  and  covered  with  gold-leaf.”  * 

It  is  probable  that  the  mound-builders  of  North  America 
were  votaries  of  the  same  worship.  Professor  Troost  has 

* Squier’s  Serpent  Symbol,  p.  50. 


Appendix. 


85 


procured  several  images  in  Smith  county,  Tennessee,  one 
of  which  was  endowed  disproportionately,  like  a Pan  or 
Hermes,  or  the  idol  at  Lampsacus.  The  phallus  had  been 
broken  off,  while  in  the  ground,  by  a plough.  Dr.  Ram- 
say, of  Knoxville,  also  describes  two  phallic  similacra  in 
his  possession,  twelve  and  fifteen  inches  in  length.  The 
shorter  one  was  of  amphibolic  rock,  and  so  very  hard  that 
steel  could  make  no  impression  upon  it.  The  Abbe  de 
Bourbourg,  who  made  careful  explorations  in  Mexico  and 
Central  America,  confirms  the  statements  in  regard  to  the 
phallic  symbolism,  and  apparently  supposes  that  it  was 
introduced  from  America  into  Europe. 

The  Cross  was  also  found  among  the  ruins  of  the  Ameri- 
can temples.  In  Mexico  it  was  the  Egyptian  symbol, 
the  crux  ansata , and  was  denominated  “ the  tree  of  life.” 
Its  frequency  over  the  Eastern  continent,  pertaining  alike 
to  the  worship  of  Osiris,  Baal-Adonis,  Mithra,  and  Maha- 
deva,  is  well  known.  The  Buddhists  of  Tibet  employ  it 
in  worship,  and  place  it,  like  the  Hermaic  pillars,  at  the 
corners  of  the  street.  It  was  sculptured  beside  the  lingam 
or  phallus,  in  the  cave  of  Elephanta.  The  Hindoo  cross 
resembles  the  “ hammer  of  Thor.”  In  the  tombs  of 
Etruria  were  found  crosses  composed  of  four  phalli.  Simi- 
lar to  this  was  the  cross  of  Malta,  till  it  was  changed  to  its 
present  shape. 

The  use  of  votive  amulets  in  that  phallic  form  was  also 
common.  They  were  found  in  the  tombs  and  houses. 
Similar  articles  are  now  manufactured  in  India.  The 
Hindoo  women  carry  the  lingam  in  procession  between 
two  serpents ; and  it  will  be  remembered  that  in  the 
sacred  ark  or  coffer  which  held  the  egg  and  phallus  in  the 
mystic  processions  of  the  Greeks,  was  also  a serpent. 
In  Greece  and  Western  Asia  the  favorite  wood  for  the 
“ stocks”  and  phallic  pillars,  according  to  St.  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  was  the  fig.  The  leaves  of  this  tree,  it  will 
be  remembered,  were  used  in  the  garden  of  Eden  ; and 
the  fruit  has  had  a peculiar  symbolical  meaning  for  thou- 
sands of  years. 


86 


Appendix. 


That  the  ancient  patriarchs,  like  the  patriarchs  and 
chiefs  of  other  nations,  erected  pillars  and  altars,  and  wor- 
shipped in  mountains  and  high  places,  is  matter  of  record. 
The  pillars  at  Bethel  and  Mizpeh,  set  up  by  Jacob,  were 
revered  by  his  descendants.  Mizpeh  was  a holy  place, 
during  the  days  of  the  Judges  ; Jephthah  made  it  his  seat 
of  government,  and  after  him  Samuel  was  inaugurated 
there.  The  Israelites  met  there  to  put  away  Baalim  and 
Ashtaroth,  as  enjoined  by  the  prophet ; who,  after  that, 
made  a yearly  circuit  to  Bethel,  Gilgal,  and  Mizpeh,  and 
had  his  residence  at  Ramah,  where  was  a “ high  place.” 
The  dances,  or  komuses,  were  also  celebrated,  as  in  the 
festivals  of  Bacchus.*  King  David  himself,  in  his  joy  at 
the  bringing  of  the  ark  to  Jerusalem,  “ danced  before  the 
Lord,”  and  being  rebuked  by  his  wife,  Michal,  for  his 
wanton  deportment,  declared  that  was  in  the  presence  of 
Jehovah,  adding  that  he  would  “play”  and  be  yet 
“ more  vile.”  Whether  phalli  were  carried  by  the  He- 
brew women  at  their  dances  and  festivals,  as  among  the 
Greeks  and  Asiatics,  is  not  stated,  but  it  is  not  improb- 
able. The  prophets  denounce  the  festivals  and  solemn 
assemblies  as  attended  with  idolatrous  and  obscene  rites. 

The  worship  of  the  Phoenician  deities  continued  among 
the  Israelites  throughout  the  whole  period  of  the  rule  of 
the  Judges. f The  Philistines  also  had  the  same  divini- 
ties. When  the  body  of  King  Saul  fell  into  their  hands, 
they  dedicated  his  armor  as  a trophy  in  the  temple  of 
Astarte  ; and  according  to  one  author,  placed  his  head 
in  the  temple  of  Dagon  the  Fish-god,  and  according 
to  another,  his  body  on  the  wall  of  the  temple  of  San.^; 
After  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy,  the  idolatrous 
rites  took  a more  objectionable  form.  King  Solomon  is 
recorded  to  have  built  mounds  or  high  places  for  Chemosh, 
the  god  of  generation,  and  for  Hercules  or  Moloch,  the 
god  of  fire,  and  to  have  worshipped  Venus-Astarte. 

* Judges  xxi.  19-23. 

f Judges  ii.  10-19 ; iii.  6,  7 ; v.  8 ; vi.  10,  25,  30 ; viii,  33 ; x.  6. 

t 1 Samuel  xxxi.  9,  10,  and  1 Chronicles  x.  9,  10. 


Appendix . 


87 


These  shrines  remained  throughout  the  Hebrew  mon- 
archy, till  Josiah  profaned  them,  broke  down  the  pillars, 
and  took  away  the  omphalic  symbols,  filling  their  places 
with  the  bones  of  men.  So  general  had  been  the  pre- 
valence of  idolatry,  and  especially  of  the  Tyrian  wor- 
ship, that  these  “high  places”  existed  all  over  the 
country,  with  the  phallic  statues  and  omphalic  emblems, 
“ on  every  high  hill,  and  under  every  green  tree.”  * That 
they  became  places  of  prostitution,  if  they  were  not  such 
at  the  first,  seems  to  be'  the  concurrent  testimony  of  the 
prophets  and  profane  writers.  Whether  the  sacrifice  of 
virginity  was  made  at  these  places,  as  at  the  temples  of 
Mylitta,  and  other  divinities,  is  not  expressly  affirmed ; 
but  the  presence  of  the  kadeshim  is  suspicious. f 

The  Hebrew  prophets  are  outspoken  in  associating  Baal- 
worship  with  lewdness.  Hosea,  using  the  customary  par- 
allelism of  expression,  identifies  the  priapic  cultus  with 
that  of  Peor.  “ They  went  to  Baal-Peor,  and  consecrated 

* I Kings  xiv.  23.  See  also  xv.  14 ; xxii.  43 ; 2 Kings  xii.  3 ; xiv.  4 ; 
xv.  4 and  35 ; xvi.  4 ; xvii.  9,  10. 

\ See  1 Kings  xiv.  23,  24;  xv.  12  and  xxii.  46;  2 Kings  xxxiii.  7;  Ho- 
sea iv.  10-19  and  v,  4.  The  Kings  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat  drove  these  per- 
sons from  the  country.  They  appear  to  have  b<  en  of  foreign  blood  ; the  book 
of  Deuteronomy  prescribing  that  they  should  not  be  Israelites.  “ There  shall 
be  no  kadeshah  of  the  daughters  of  Israel,  nor  a kadesh  of  the  sons  of  Israel,” 
— xxiii.  17.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  the  Israelites  imputed  no  merit,  but 
rather  opprobrium,  to  the  virgin  state.  When  Jephthah  announced  to  his 
daughter  that  he  had  made  an  irrevocable  vow  to  offer  her  in  sacrifice,  she  only 
pleaded  for  a respite  of  two  months  to  “ go  up  and  down  upon  the  mountains, 
and  bewail  her  virginity.”  This  is  apparently  in  accord  with  the  statement 
of  Mindes-Pinto,  that  the  young  Indian  maids  believe  it  impossible  for  a vir- 
gin to  enter  Paradise.  The  readiness  of  the  Israelites  to  adopt  the  rites  of 
Venus  and  Baal-Peor  (Exodus  xxxii.  6,  25,  and  Numbers  xxv.)  would  seem  to 
be  thus  explained.  The  worship  of  the  goddess  Diana  or  Venus- Anaitis  in 
Armenia  was  attended  by  the  defloration  of  nubile  women.  The  Babylonian 
colonists  of  Samaria  brought  with  them  the  worship  of  the  Succoth-Be- 
noth,  or  the  Venuses  of  the  tents  ; and  it  is  certain  that  almas  or  consecrated 
women,  as  in  Egypt,  and  nautch-girls  or  women  of  the  temple,  were  a pecu- 
liarity of  Phoenician,  as  they  are  of  Hindoo  sanctuaries.  Justin  relates  that 
Dido  or  Elissa  transported  twenty-four  of  these  females  to  Carthage.  The 
name  Elissa  or  Alitta  being  a title  of  the  goddess,  shows  that  her  expedition 
is  but  an  allegory  to  explain  the  introduction  of  her  worship  into  the  countries 


88 


Appendix. 


themselves  to  Bosheth * Jeremiah  also  is  unmistakable. 
“According  to  the  number  of  thy  cities  were  thy  gods, 
Oh  Judah  ! and  according  to  the  number  of  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem  [as  in  Tyre  and  Athens]  have  ye  set  up  altars 
to  Bosheth,  even  altars  to  burn  incense  to  Baal.”  J These 
were  “ the  iniquities  of  their  forefathers.” 

The  worship  of  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  Mylitta  or  the 
Syrian  goddess,  “ the  children  gathering  wood,  the  fathers 
kindling  the  fire,  and  the  women  kneading  the  dough  to 
make  cakes,”  is  instanced  several  times  by  Jeremiah  ; 
and  was  an  old  custom,  observed  alike  by  kings,  nobles, 
and  the  common  people.];  The  cake  was  made  of 
flour  and  honey,  and  was  shaped  like  a lozenge  or  phal- 
lus. The  ciinim  or  bonus  were  offered  to  Astarte  and 
Aphrodite  wherever  they  were  worshipped,  at  the  open- 
ing of  spring. 

The  sacrifice  of  children,  common  among  the  Phoeni- 
cians and  their  colonies,  was  also  a practice  of  the  Jews. 
Sometimes  it  was  only  a passing  through  the  fire,  as  at 
the  Bal-tines  of  Scotland  and  Ireland  ; at  others,  it  was 


of  the  West.  The  island  of  Melita  was  named  from  this  divinity.  Ovid 
describes  her  festival : 

“ On  the  Ides  is  the  genial  feast  of  Anna  perenna, 

Not  far,  traveller  Tiber,  from  thy  banks. 

The  people  come,  and  scattered  everywhere  among  the  green  stalks, 

Imbibe,  and  each  reclines  with  his  female  consort. 

Part  remain  in  the  open  air,  a few  set  up  tents  ; 

Some  out  of  branches  have  made  a leafy  hut.” — Fasti , iv. 

The  Indian  Anna-purna,  and  the  Babylonian  Daughter  of  the  Tent,  are 
easily  recognized.  In  Virgil’s  /Eneid,  Anna  is  made  the  sister  of  Elissa. 

* Hosea  ix.  io.  The  “ high  place  ” of  Baal  where  Balak  and  Balaam  met  to 
invoke  curses  upon  Israel  (Numbers  xxii.  41).  The  term  bosheth,  here 

used  as  the  synonyme  for  Baal,  signifies  the  phallus.  It  is  also  translated 
shame — Jeremiah  iii.  24,  and  Micah  i.  n — but  doubtless  means  Baal-wor- 
ship  in  both  instances.  The  two  words  were  compounded  interchangeably  in 
proper  names.  Jerub-baal  or  Gideon  was  also  styled  Jerub-besheth ; Ish- 
Bosheth,  the  son  of  Saul,  and  Mephi-Bosheth,  the  son  of  Jonathan,  were 
transcribed  by  the  synonymes  Esh-Baal  and  Merib-Baal  in  the  first  Book  of 
Chronicles. 

f Jeremiah  xi.  13. 

% Jeremiah  vii.  17-3 1 and  xliv.  8,  15-23. 


Appendix. 


89 


“ the  shedding  of  innocent  blood.”  * The  sacrifices 
•were  made  to  the  fire-god  Moloch,  or  Baal-Hercules.  In 
Isaiah,  however,  we  find  mention  made  of  “ slaying  the 
children  in  the  valleys  under  the  clefts  of  the  rocks.  ”f 
This  must  have  been  an  offering  tc  Astarte.  These  were 
the  cunni  diaboli,  or  emblems  of  maternity,  closely  re- 
lated to  the  omphalic  stones.  The  one  at  Delphi  emitted 
a gas  which  the  priestess  inhaled  before  delivering  her 
oracles.  They  are  abundant  in  India  at  the  present  day, 
and  were  formerly  in  England  before  the  introduction  of 
Christianity.  Miss  Ellwood,  in  her  Journey  to  the  East , 
mentions  one  which  she  saw  : “ There  is  a sacred  perfo- 
rated stone  at  Malabar,  through  which  penitents  squeezed 
themselves  in  order  to  obtain  a remission  of  their  sins.;}: 
The  custom  of  burning  the  thigh  in  sacrifices,  rvhich 
was  universal,  is  of  the  same  character.  The  golden 
thigh  of  Pythagoras  was  doubtless  the  thing  last  revealed 
to  the  initiate.  It  was  the  meros  in  which  the  foetal 
Bacchus  was  preserved  ; and,  like  the  phallus  shown  to  the 
epopt  at  Eleusis,  prefigured  the  great  mystery  of  life. 

It  is  noticeable  that  all  these  sensual  peculiarities  per 
tained  to  the  worship  of  the  female  divinities.  The  priests 
of  Hercules,  as  of  the  lingam  in  India,  were  monks.  The 
Hellenic  Jew  explains  it  like  the  more  orthodox  prophets, 
that  “ the  devising  of  images  was  the  beginning  of  lewd- 
ness, and  the  invention  of  them  the  corruption  of  life.”  § 
Nevertheless  we  also  are  not  prepared  to  accept  unquali- 
fiedly the  sentiment  that  “ Human  nature  is  the  same  in 
all  climes,  and  the  workings  of  this  same  human  nature 
are  almost  identical  in  their  different  stages  of  growth.” 
If  Mr.  Westropp  means  from  this  that  we  should  infer  that 
the  employment  of  the  sexual  symbolism  in  worship  is 
characteristic  of  all  mankind  at  a peculiar  stage  of  devel- 

* 2 Kings  xvi.  3;  xxi.  6,  16  and  xxiv.  4;  2 Chronicles  xxviii.  3;  Jere- 
miah ii.  34,  35  and  xix.  4 ; Psalm  cvi.  34-39. 

J Isaiah  lvii.  5. 

% Our  British  Ancestors,  p.  160. 

§ Wisdom  of  Solomon,  xiv.  12. 

6 


90 


Appendix. 


opment,  we  dissent.  Besides,  there  are  tribes  that  we  must 
acknowledge  as  human  beings,  having  no  customs  entitled 
to  be  regarded  as  a cultus.  Races  of  men  are  mate- 
rially diverse  in  structure,  type,  and  psychical  character, 
and  probably  had  their  origins  in  climates  and  periods  of 
time  widely  apart  from  each  other.  “ Human  nature  is 
manifestly  very  unlike,  as  exhibited  respectively  by  the 
European  populations,  the  Chinese,  the  African  negroes, 
and  the  Australians.” 

Our  evidence  as  to  the  antiquity  of  this  peculiar  symbol- 
ism is  necessarily  very  incomplete.  There  have  been  en- 
deavors to  solve  the  question  by  an  ingenious  calculation. 
The  Maypole  festival,  common  to  all  ancient  countries 
east  and  west,  and  well  known  to  have  a phallic  origin, 
should  be  dated  from  the  vernal  equinox,  when  that  was 
the  period  of  the  entering  of  the  sun  into  the  zodiacal 
sign  Taurus.  Counting  seventy-two  years  for  the  pre- 
cession of  the  sun  a single  degree,  the  precise  period  of 
that  occurrence  was  about  four  thousand  years  before  the 
Christian  era.*  The  Maypole  celebration,  if  we  adopt  the 
popular  chronology,  must  have  therefore  taken  its  incep- 
tion from  some  event  connected  with  the  occurrences 
recorded  as  happening  in  the  Garden  of  Eden. f 

The  principal  Aryan  nations  appear  to  have  displayed 
a determined  hostility  to  the  entire  phallic  symbolism. 
In  the  Rig- Veda,  the  sisna-devas  or  priests  of  the  lingam 
are  debarred  from  access  to  the  sacred  rites,;}:  and  con- 

* The  Round  Towers  of  Ireland , pp.  233,  234 ; also  Maurice’s  Indian 
Antiquities. 

\ Nevertheless,  there  may  be  reason,  instead,  to  assign  a date  some  time  in 
the  pre-Adamite  period.  In  the  Moniteur  of  January,  1865,  it  is  stated  that 
in  the  province  of  Venetia,  in  Italy,  excavations  in  a bone-cave  brought  to 
light,  beneath  ten  feet  of  stalagmite,  bones  of  animals,  mostly  post-tertiary, 
of  the  usual  description  found  in  such  places,  flint  implements,  with  a needle 
of  bone  having  an  eye  and  point,  and  a plate  of  an  argillaceous  compound, 
on  which  was  scratched  a rude  drawing  of  a phallus. 

X A similar  prohibition  appears  also  in  the  last  stages  of  the  Hebrew  mon- 
archy. When  Josiah  abolished  the  worship  at  the  “high  places,”  he  refused 
to  admit  the  priests  that  had  officiated  at  them,  to  the  service  of  the  Temple. 
The  prophet  Ezekiel  also  promulgated  the  following  ordinance  against  them: 


Appendix. 


9i 


signed  to  destruction  at  the  hands  of  Indra.  The  invaders 
of  India  could  find  no  milder  language  for  the  lascivious 
religionists  whom  they  encountered  than  demons,  devil- 
worshippers,  and  persons  who  observe  no  sacred  rites. 
The  Brahmin  system  was  adopted  afterward,  unwillingly, 
as  a compromise. 

The  ancient  Persians  exhibited  a like  detestation  of  the 
icon- worshippers.  “ They  had  no  images  of  the  gods,  no 

temples,  nor  altars,  and  considered  the  use  of  them  a 
sign  of  folly,”  # The  Achaemenian  kings  were  worshippers 
of  Ormazd,  and  displayed  a similar  antagonism  to  that 
of  their  Vedic  brethren  to  the  current  idolatrous  practices 
of  their  time.  Eventually  the  magian  system  of  Media 
and  Babylonia  was  engrafted  upon  the  popular  worship 
of  Persia,  although  the  kings  and  nobler  classes  adhered  to 
the  Zoroastrian  doctrines. 

These  doctrines  appear  to  be  so  closely  allied  to  those 
imputed  to  Moses,  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  that 
they  had  once  been  identical.  The  exiles  who  returned 
from  beyond  the  Euphrates  are  described  very  differently 
from  those  who  were  transported  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  f 

“ They  shall  not  come  near  unto  me  to  do  the  office  of  a priest  unto  me,  nor 
come  near  to  any  of  my  holy  things  in  the  most  holy  place ; but  they  shall 
bear  their  shame,  and  their  abominations  which  they  have  committed.” 
xliv.  6-14. 

* Herodotus,  i.  131. 

| The  colonization  of  the  Jews  in  Palestine  under  Cyrus  and  his  successors 
appears  very  like  a new  occupation,  rather  than  a return.  It  is  evident  that 
there  were  more  of  them  beyond  the  Euphrates  than  ever  made  their  homes 
in  Judea.  Their  leading  class  bore  the  title  of  Pharisees,  perhaps  from  their 
Persian  affiliations.  They,  according  to  Spinoza,  made  the  selection  of  the 
books  which  are  now  accepted  as  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  adopting  only  those 
which  had  been  composed  in  the  Hebrew  language.  The  text  of  this  was 
revised  and  pruned,  and  occasionally  changed.  It  seems  to  have  been  their 
purpose  to  keep  the  knowledge  of  it  in  the  limits  of  their  own  order.  Never- 
theless, it  betrays  the  indications  of  an  Ionian  influence, and  also  of  a Hindoo 
antecedent.  The  patriarchal  names  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  Brahmin 
divinities  : Brahma  and  his  consort  Sara-Iswati,  his  son  Ikshwaka,  and  great- 
grandson  Yadu.  The  ruins  of  the  temple  of  Peace,  orTukht  Solumi,  have 
been  found  in  Cashmere,  and  many  names  of  the  Bible  and  Western  Asia, 
like  Yudia,  Dawid,  Arabi,  Cush,  Yavan,  are  also  indigenous  to  the  region  of 
the  Indus. 


92 


Appendix. 


They  no  more  filled  their  land  with  idolatry  and  phallic 
emblems,  but  simply  placed  the  sacred  fire  in  the  temple 
at  Jerusalem  and  watched  against  its  extinction.  The 
precept  of  the  law  of  Moses  forbidding  the  fabricating  and 
adoration  of  pesels  or  graven  images,  was  rigidly  kept. 
Synagogues  for  religious  instruction  took  the  place  of 
high  places,  pillars,  and  enclosures  of  a circular  form. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  characteristics  of  their  an- 
cestors before  the  captivity,  they  were  true  afterward  to 
the  lessons  learned  in  exile.  In  the  reign  of  Antiochus 
they  resisted  the  introduction  of  the  mysteries  of  Dionysus, 
and  underwent  tortures  and  crucifixion  rather  than  taste 
the  flesh  of  swine  and  participate  in  the  foreign  worship. 

The  transition  from  the  old  Roman  and  ethnic  religions 
to  Christianity  could  n.ot  possibly  be  effected  so  com- 
pletely as  to  change  entirely  the  real  sentiments  of  the 
people.  We  must  not  be  surprised,  therefore,  when  we 
are  told  that  the  ancient  worship,  after  it  had  been  ex- 
cluded from  its  former  temples  and  from  the  metropolitan 
towns,  was  maintained  for  a long  time  by  the  inhabitants 
of  humbler  localities.  Indeed,  from  this  very  fact  it  ob- 
tained its  subsequent  designation.  From  being  kept  up 
in  the  villages  (or  pagi ),  its  votaries  were  denominated 
pagans,  pagani,  or  villagers. 

The  prevalence  of  Mithraic  or  magian  ideas  and  prac- 
tices led  also  to  the  confounding  of  the  proscribed  wor- 
ship with  the  practice  of  witchcraft  and  sorcery ; and  to 
this  fact  we  are  indebted  for  the  numerous  legends  and  ac- 
counts of  secret  colleges  of  magicians,  as  well  as  of  assem- 
blies of  witches  in  remote  places,  decorated  with  the  sym- 
bols of  the  old  religion,  of  kings  or  devils  having  the  goat- 
form  of  the  ancient  Pan  or  Bacchus  with  the  priapic 
appendages,  of  distinguished  persons  in  attendance  in  the 
habit  of  satyrs,  of  sham  sacraments  like  those  of  the  Per- 
sian god  Mithras,  and  especially  of  the  orgies  or  enthu- 
siastic furors,  together  with  general  debauchery.  There 
is  little  reason  to  doubt  that  these  “witches’  sabbaths’’ 
were  formerly  celebrated,  and  that  they  were,  in  some 


Appendix.  93 

modified  form,  a continuation  of  the  outlawed  worship  of 
the  Roman  Empire.* 

Whether  the  alarm  experienced  in  this  country  two  cen- 
turies ago,  of  an  invasion  of  Satan  and  his  associated  pow- 
ers, was  a delusion,!  or  had  some  relation  to  the  possible 
introduction  of  the  old  Asiatic  and  Roman  religion  into 
America,  is  a question  admitting  of  ingenious  discussion. 
In  Europe,  however,  its  maintenance,  after  many  centuries 
had  elapsed  of  proscription  and  persecution,  finally  became 
impossible.  The  ignorance  of  the  common  people  ren- 
dered them  ill-adapted  to  continue  a worship  so  full  of 
recondite  mystery,  and  the  orgies  or  “ sabbaths”  fell  into 
neglect.  But  in  certain  practices  and  superstitions  not 
yet  outgrown,  the  old  phallism  and  pagan  ideas  still 
crop  out.  Good  and  ill  fortune  are  supposed  to  result 
from  the  wholesome  or  obnoxious  influence  of  the  moon. 
Goethe  has  commemorated  the  potency  of  the  pentacle  as 
a protector  against  evil  spirits.  The  mystic  horse-shoe,  a 
uterine  symbol,  is  still  employed. ! Lucky  and  unlucky 
days  are  regarded.  Even  at  the  gaming-table,  the  cards 
are  indicated  by  the  phallic  symbols,  the  spade  and  triadic 
club,  and  the  omphalic  distaff  and  eminence  disguised  as 
the  heart  and  diamond.  Certain  peculiarities  of  architec- 
ture and  decoration  are  inspired  from  the  same  source,  and 
whoever  is  intelligent  is  not  slow  to  recognize  the  fact. 

* The  heretical  sects,  as  they  sprung  up,  were  denounced  in  the  same 
manner.  Even  to  this  day,  Vauderie,  or  Vaudois  worship,  is  the  French 
designation  for  witchcraft ; and  the  name  of  Bulgarians  [Bu/gres],  who  were 
once  Albigenses  or  Paulicians,  is  now  applied  to  men  practising  unnatural 
vice. 

f The  apprehension  of  this  invasion  was  entertained  in  all  the  British  North 
American  Colonies,  and  the  severest  penal  laws  were  enacted  in  consequence. 
The  executions  in  Massachusetts,  in  1692,  operated  to  overthrow  the  prevail- 
ing sentiment  in  that  region;  but  in  New  York  and  the  other  provinces,  the 
laws  were  enforced  till  the  Revolution.  Indeed,  in  South  Carolina  witchcraft 
was  a capital  offence  in  the  Code  till  the  reorganization  of  the  State  govern- 
ment after  the  recent  civil  war ; and  less  than  a century  ago  offenders  were 
executed. 

% In  a church  in  Paris  is  said  to  be  a relic  of  special  virtue,  the  pudenda 
muliehria  Sanctce  Virginis.  See  Inman’s  Ancient  Faiths  Embodied  in  An- 
cient Names,  vol.  i.,  p.  144. 


94 


Appendix. 


In  popular  customs,  and  even  in  religious  institutions, 
these  things  are  as  plainly  to  be  perceived  to-day  as  when 
Adonis  and  Astarte  were  the  gods  of  the  fortner  world. 
The  sanctities,  the  powers,  the  symbols,  and, even  the 
utensils  of  the  ancient  Faith,  have  been  assumed,  if  not 
usurped  or  legitimately  inherited,  by  its  successors.  The 
two  holies  of  the  Gnostics  and  Neo-Platonists,  Sophia  and 
Eirene,  wisdom  and  peace,  were  adopted  as  saints  into  the 
calendar  of  Constantinople.  Dionysus,  the  god  of  the  Mys- 
teries, reappears  as  St.  Denys  in  France,  St.  Liberius,  St. 
Eleutherius,  and  St.  Bacchus  ; there  is  also  a St.  Mithra  ; 
and  even  Satan,  prince  of  shadows,  is  revered  as  St.  Satur 
and  St.  Swithin.  Their  relics  are  in  keeping.  The  Holy 
Virgin  Astrsea  or  Astarte,  whose  return  was  announced 
by  Virgil  in  the  days  of  Augustus,  as  introducing  a new 
Golden  Age,  now  under  her  old  designation  of  Blessed 
Virgin  and  Queen  of  Heaven,  receives  homage  as  “ the 
one  whose  sole  divinity  the  whole  orb  of  the  earth  vene- 
rates.” The  Mother  and  Child,  the  latter  adorned  with 
the  nimbus  or  aureole  of  the  ancient  sun-gods,  are  now 
the  object  of  veneration  as  much  as  were  Ceres  and 
Bacchus,  or  Isis  and  Horus  in  the  Mysteries.  Nuns 
abound  alike  in  Christian  and  in  Buddhist  countries,  as 
they  did  formerly  in  Isis-worshipping  Egypt ; and  if  their 
maidenhood  is  not  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  Baal-Peor, 
or  any  of  his  cognate  divinities,  yet  it  is  done  in  a figure  : 
they  are  all  “ brides  of  the  Saviour.”  Galli  sing  in  the 
churches,  and  consecrated  women  are  as  numerous  as  of 
old.  The  priestly  vestments  are  like  those  formerly  used  in 
the  worship  of  Saturn  and  Cybele  ; the  Phrygian  cap,  the 
pallium,  the  stole,  and  the  alb.  The  whole  pantheon  has 
been  exhausted  from  the  Indus,  Euphrates,  and  the  Nile, 
to  supply  symbolic  adornment  for  the  apostles’  successors. 
Hercules  holds  the  distaff  of  Omphale.  The  Lily  has 
superseded  the  Lotus,  and  celibacy  is  exalted  above  the 
first  recorded  mandate  of  God  to  mankind. 

In  ancient  times  the  Carians  and  other  votaries  used  to 
wound  themselves  and  offer  their  blood  to  Bacchus  in 


Appendix. 


95 


commemoration  of  his  dismemberment  by  the  Titans. 
The  former  worshippers  in  Yucatan  and  Central  America 
had  an  analogous  custom.  The  prophets  of  Baal  in  Syria 
and  Phoenicia  also  inflicted  wounds  on  themselves.*  The 
Jews  were  prohibited  from  this  by  their  law,f  but  at  the 
period  of  mourning  for  the  dead  one,  Adonis,  slain  by  the 
boar,  they  flogged  themselves  and  wept.  This  animal, 
which  was  sacred  to  Mars  or  Ares,  the  god  of  destruction, 
became  their  abomination.  The  Egyptians  had  a like 
custom.  At  the  assemblies  of  Isis,  composed  of  many 
thousands  of  pilgrims,  those  who  participated  in  the 
solemnities  scourged  themselves  in  memory  of  the  slaugh- 
tered Oseiris.^  Sailors  were  whipped  around  the  altar  of 
Apollo  at  Delos,  and  children  at  the  temple  of  Diana 
in  Sparta.  In  Rome,  at  the  Lupercalia,  about  the  14th 
of  February,  young  men  used  to  lay  aside  their  gar- 
ments, and  taking  whips,  run  through  the  streets,  flogging 
everybody  whom  they  met.  § Even  now,  during  Holy 
Week  in  Rome,  many  devotees  lash  themselves  till  the 
blood  gushes  in  streams  ; and  the  same  practice  exists  in 
other  places.  The  Flagellants  of  the  Middle  Ages  appear 
to  have  been  actuated  by  a similar  enthusiasm. 

The  pretension  to  universal  supremacy  by  leading 
Bishops  of  the  earlier  centuries  is  familiar  to  all  who  are 
conversant  with  church  history./  The  Grand  Lama  of  the 
Buddhists,  and  the  Zeus  or  Archiereus  of  old  Hellas,  fur- 
nished antetypes  which  were  speedily  imitated  at  the 

* 1 Kings  xviii.  28. 

f Leviticus  xix.  28  and  xxi.  5. 

% Herodotus,  ii.  61. 

§ There  seems  to  be  a voluptuous  sense  excited  in  this  way.  Women, 
especially  those  who  were  married,  eagerly  placed  themselves  in  the  way  of 
these  flagellators,  partly  on  account  of  the  exquisite  delight  received  from  the 
infliction,  and  partly  because  of  the  idea  that  it  promoted  the  aptitude  to  con- 
ceive. The  late  Henry  Buckle,  author  of  the  History  of  Civilization,  printed 
privately  a series  of  curious  tracts  on  this  subject,  illustrating  how  a practice 
beginning  in  religious  zeal  can  be  made  a source  of  sensuous  delight. — 
Rare  Tracts  on  Flagellation.  Reprinted  from  the  original  editions  collected 
by  the  late  Henry  Thomas  Buckle.  7 vols.  post  8vo.  London.  Printed  by 
G.  Peacock,  1777. 


9 6 


Appendix. 


focal  points  of  the  Empire.  The  Bishop  of  Rome,  how- 
ever, was  the  most  successful.  In  his  person  the  Pontifex 
Maximus  exists  as  in  the  days  of  the  Republic  and  the 
Caesars.  Asia  and  Italy  alike  minister  to  his  elevation. 
He  has  “the  power  of  the  keys,”  the  key  of  Janus  of 
archaic  Rome,  and  the  key  of  Cybele,  the  Virgin-Mother 
of  Asia.  The  former  was  patulcius  and  clusius,  the  opener 
and  shutter  ; and  with  the  authority  of  Cybeld  he  was 
empowered  also,  as  the  vesica  piscis  indicates,  to  superin- 
tend the  gateway  of  physical  existence.  But  let  there  be 
no  sneer  at  this.  In  the  Catacombs  of  Rome,  where  the 
early  Christians  used  to  congregate,  are  numerous  pictures 
and  carvings  indicating  close  resemblances  to  the  pagan 
usages.  Enough  exists  to  show  that  the  pontiff  does  not 
take  all  by  assumption.  The  utensils  and  other  furniture 
of  the  Mysteries  appear  to  have  been  there  ; and  one 
drawing  shows  a woman  standing  before  an  altar  offering 
bunns  to  the  Serpent-divinity.  It  is  true,  doubtless,  that 
there  is  not  a fast  or  festival,  procession  or  sacrament, 
social  custom  or  religious  symbol,  that  did  not  come 
“ bodily  ” from  the  previous  paganism.  But  the  Pope  did 
not  import  them  on  his  own  account ; they  had  already 
been  transferred  into  the  ecclesiastical  structure,  and  he 
only  accepted  and  perhaps  took  advantage  of  the  fact. 
Many  of  those  who  protest  because  of  these  “corruptions,” 
are  prone  to  imitate  them,  more  or  less,  displaying  an  en- 
grafting from  the  same  stock. 

Much  dispute  has  been  had  in  regard  to  the  presence  of 
St.  Peter  at  Rome.  The  statue  of  the  apostle,  it  has  been 
asserted  with  great  plausibility,  was  originally  the  bust  of 
the  Jupiter  of  the  Capitol.  We  presume  that  the  “ apostle 
of  the  circumcision,”  as  Paul,  his  great  rival,  styles  him, 
was  never  at  the  Imperial  City,  nor  had  a successor  there, 
not  even  in  the  Ghetto.  The  “ Chair  of  Peter,”  * therefore, 

* There  appear  to  have  been  two  chairs  of  the  titular  apostle.  In  the  year 
1662  the  workmen  engaged  in  cleaning  one  of  them  for  exhibition  to  the  people, 
on  the  1 8th  of  January,  “the  Twelve  Labors  of  Hercules  unluckily  appeared 


Appendix. 


97 


is  sacred  rather  than  apostolical.  Its  sanctity  proceeded, 
however,  from  the  esoteric  religion  of  the  former  times  of 
Rome.  The  hierophant  of  the  Mysteries  probably  occu- 
pied it  on  the  day  of  initiations,  when  exhibiting  to  the 
candidates  the  petroma.* 

The  end  crowned  the  work.  " In  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter’s  at  Rome,”  Godfrey  Higgins  asserts,  f “ is  kept  in 
secret  a large  stone  emblem  of  the  creative  power,  of  a very 
peculiar  shape,  on  which  are  the  words,  Zevs  2 u>Trjp , Zeus 
Soter  (or  Jove  the  Saviour) ; only  persons  who  have  great 
interest  can  get  a sight  of  it.” 

Thus  the  cycle  seems  to  return  upon  itself.  Archaic 
Rome  seems  to  live  again  in  the  Rome  Mediaeval,  old 
Egypt  and  Babylonia  to  be  resuscitated  in  our  modern 
Europe.  Yet  this  is  not  altogether  true.  Let  us  take 
heed  how  we  hear. 

Those  capable  of  understanding,  will  recognize  in  this 
symbolism  the  revelation  of  the  first  creation  and  the  re- 

engraved  on  it.”  (Bower’s  History  of  the  Popes,  vol.  ii. , p.  7.)  This  chair  was 
removed  and  another  substituted.  In  1795  the  French  under  Bonaparte  occu- 
pied Rome,  and  again  the  chair  was  investigated.  This  time  there  was  found 
the  Mohammedan  Confession  of  Faith,  in  Arabic  letters  : “ There  is  no  deity 
but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  his  Apostle.”  Zodiacs,  or  Labors  of  Hercules, 
evidently  of  an  astrological  character,  have  been  found  in  the  churches  of  York 
and  Lyons,  and  a wine-cask  at  the  shrine  of  St.  Denys.  • On  the  hypothesis 
of  having  been  heir-looms  from  the  pagan  religion,  these  facts  are  duly 
accounted  for,  except  the  French  discovery.  It  may  have  been  that  Islam 
and  the  Papacy  once  contemplated  an  alliance,  or  some  crusader  brought  the 
chair  from  the  East. 

* If  this  supposition  is  correct,  the  ecclesiastical  legends  of  Peter’s  sojourn 
at  Rome  are  easily  comprehended.  The  petroma,  or  stone  tablet,  contained 
or  constituted  the  last  revelation  made  by  the  hierophant  to  the  candidate  for 
initiation.  What  it  was  might  never  be  divulged  on  pain  of  death.  All  the 
work  of  the  Creator  was  now  unfolded,  and  the  profane  might  not  know  the 
solemn  secret.  As  the  Mysteries  came  to  Rome  from  the  East,  it  is  easy  to 
perceive  that  the  hierophant  or  revelator  would  have  an  oriental  t'itle.  Peter, 
from  the  Phoenician  word  inD)  peter,  is  applied  in  the  Book  of  Genesis  (xl.  8) 
to  an  expounder  of  dreams,  and  was  probably  the  designation  of  the  interpreter 
of  the  petroma.  The  Roman  Bishop  succeeding  to  his  chair,  would  be,  it  is 
apparent,  pontiff  over  the  whole  world. 

j-  Celtic  Druids,  pp.  195-196. 


98 


Appendix. 


naissance,  as  refined  in  sentiment  or  as  gross  in  sense  as 
is  the  mind  of  the  person  witnessing  the  vision.  Whether 
he  has  learned  supernal  mysteries  is  to  be  ascertained  ; 
certainly  he  is  revealed  to  himself,  humbled  if  not 
humble. 


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